Arwenella
by Meggin Fallohide
Summary: A Lord of the the Rings version of the old fairy tale classic: Cinderella. Arwen plays role of Cinderella--big twist in the end! Please read and review! PG for slight romance, otherwise Light Reading! Please R&R! -COMPLETE-
1. The News

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Behold! This is Meggin Fallohide's fanfiction number two (well, not really the second one...I have written dozens of other ones, but are plainly too corny to actually post online, lol). All my fanfiction will be light reading. Lol, my parents probably wouldn't even let me write anything above PG 13.  
  
The rating is: PG...just a mere parental guidance is necessary, although I'm pretty sure a newborn baby would be mature enough to handle the material (not that they can even read yet).  
  
Anyway this story is sort of like a Lord of the Rings version of the old classic fairy tale Cinderella...it's all pretty simple. Arwen Undomiel is playing the role of Cinderella, Lord Elrond marries an 'evil stepmother' along with a good old batch of 'evil stepsisters', who harass and tease poor little 'Arwenella'. There's of course a slight twist at the end with the whole Ball issue...she is torn between who she should love...but of course I shouldn't give everything away, right?  
  
This is a random idea I got before falling asleep one night. So...1. Excuse anything that might be lame or corny 2. Please leave some comments (good, bad, or completely insulting...anything that will be beneficial and help me write better) so I can get feedback if what I'm putting on this site is worthwhile and people are actually enjoying it 3. Excuse type-o's or wrong locations. I will probably spot them later on and edit them. Thanks!  
  
-- ----------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter One- The News  
**  
Arwen Undomiel walked alone in the woods, enjoying herself under the shade of the towering trees, casting shadows on her pale and beautiful face. The sun shone brightly against the ground as it seeped through foliage above. On and on she walked, closing her eyes and stretching her face to Nature above. Her dress and cloak slightly trailed behind her. The elven maiden took a deep shuddering breath, and let it all go, opening her eyes and smiling. She greatly savored this alone time all by herself, without eyes constantly peering at her in curiosity. There was also something beautiful and at the same time haunting about the woods and forests, where everything would be completely silent save the crunching of leaves and branches under her delicate feet.  
  
She looked up at the sky again, and breathed in the crisp forest air she so loved. It was getting dark, and the sun was making it's slow escape. I shouldn't keep Father worrying, she thought to herself. So she turned around and made her way back through the entwining trees, back to the House of Elrond where she would be staying with her Father for some time.  
  
After stepping inside the palace, Arwen hastily dropped her cloak on the ground and rushed to the living room, hiding behind one of the walls and peeking around it to see who her father was talking to. It was clearly an elf, she could see, and as all of you know elves' appreances don't age, but Arwen could tell the elf maiden Elrond was talking to was much older than her, and around her father's age. The two of them were conversing in very rapid elvish, and even though Arwen was fluent in this their voices were very soft and she could barely hear a word that was spoken. She gasped as her father smiled, and reached over and took the maiden's hand in his. It was very rare her father smiled. And this type of smile clearly expressed deep affection and love. Surely her father wasn't interested in this lady? Arwen wasn't even accustomed to having a mother; she had barely spent time with her blood mom, Celebrian, who was long ago captured and poisonously wounded by orcs. Even though her brothers had rescued her, they had all sailed out of Middle-Earth long ago. For as long as Arwen had remembered she had switching dwellings between Lothlorien with her grandmother lady Galadriel, and most of the time with her father Lord Elrond at Rivendell.  
  
And for the past few months, Arwen had heard rumors of her Father taking interest in one other, though she had never had the time to see the woman for herself.  
  
Lord Elrond grinned and muttered something to his companion. The elf maiden's eyes bulged out, and her mouth quivered. Arwen was shocked. She had thought the elf very wise according to her appearance, but what happened next was totally unexpected.  
  
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" The lady gave out a tremendous, sickening laugh, one that probably mimicked a hog, boar, fifty galloping horses, a motorcycle, and a rock concert all blended into one. She saw her father flinch, but he continued smiling in that dreamy way. Arwen was disgusted. She hoped her Father didn't take this person seriously. Unfortunately, she hadn't been taking good care of herself as she was hiding, and the end of her long dress was clearly visible from where Elrond and his disgusting companion were seated.  
  
"Daughter!" Elrond boomed. Arwen groaned. Elrond gave her one of his commanding lordly looks and motioned for her to come over. Arwen sighed, picking up her skirts and rushing over to where her father sat. He patted the cushion next to him. She sat. "Arwen...I introduce you to this fine Maiden." He gestured to the lady who had laughed like a hog, sitting right on his left hand.  
  
"Uh...hello," Arwen muttered softly. She inspected the woman's face. From far away she looked rather decent, but from close up you could see the horrible truth. She certainly didn't contain the beauty of the other elves around Rivendell. Her forehead contained multitudes of wrinkles, which increased whenever she let out one of her horrendous laughs. Her eyes were rather normal, a piercing cold blue within. Her nose was large and rather stuck out. Her lips were fat and distracted her from every other feature when she looked upon her face. She hated to admit it, but she was the ugliest elf she had ever seen in her life. She even thought she was probably an elf about to mutate into an Uruk-Hai.  
  
"Arwen!" her father called. The raven-haired elf was jolted out of her thoughts.  
  
"Y-yes? Hello, Lady..."  
  
"Her name is Lady Uggalflaed." Arwen suppressed her laughter with difficulty.  
  
"Lady....Uggalflaed." Lady Uggalflaed squinched her eyes and held out her grubby hand. Arwen reached out and shook it, cringing at the dampness and sickening moistness of it. How could Father fall for this awful creature? She thought desperately to herself. Uggalflaed let go of her deathgrip.  
  
"I...am sorry I have not introduced you earlier, my daughter, Lady Uggalflaed. My daughter has been rather busy lately." Arwen nodded in agreement, wondering where this whole thing was coming to. To avoid throwing up due to the disgusting face of the other elf Maiden not far from her, Arwen focused on her fingernails. "Arwen, I must tell you something. Listen to me." Elrond grabbed ahold of his daughter's shoulders, and faced her to him. She stared into the deep pools of blue in her father's face. "Lady Uggalflaed and I will wed in three days."  
  
Arwen's mouth dropped open in the most unlady like way.  
  
"WHAT?!!!"  
  
"Shortly after that I will be traveling on an urgent mission to the Shire. There has been a terrible sickness and they have called upon me to provide the elvish medicine they so need. I should not be gone for long...I will try not to. Meanwhile I want you to stay here, with your new stepmother-to-be Lady Uggalflaed, and her two daughters." Arwen pictured two miniature Lady Uggalflaeds as her stepsisters. This was a nightmare.  
  
"Father," she wailed, clinging to his sleeves. "You can't marry! Not here, not now! Please!" Elrond raised an eyebrow.  
  
"And why not?" Arwen paused, and turned to look at the pig nearby. Elrond followed her gaze, and laughed.  
  
"You needn't worry, my love, Lady Uggalflaed has promised to take very good care of you. And you will finally have some girls your own age to hang around with. You will meet them tomorrow, now isn't that nice?"  
  
Arwen sat there, digesting everything. Her breathing grew heavy, and her mind clouded with horrible thoughts. This was not happening. This was like a nightmare come true.  
  
Stifling a sob, she shoved her father's hands away and dashed up the stairs to her room, throwing herself on her sheets and crying into her arms.  
  
--------------------------------------------------  
  
How am I doing? Do you all like the first chapter? READ AND REVIEW! MORE WILL BE COMING! cackling laughter --Meggin 


	2. The Stepsisters

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Thanks for all the reviews (though a rather small amount, I appreciate them nonetheless) on the first chapter. I have a pretty fair idea of what the rest of the story is going to be so no need to worry. Please be patient if the chapters come slow, or if you encounter any errors. For crying out loud my vocabulary isn't all that perfect yet lol.  
  
Keep the reviews coming or I won't know how I'm doing at all. Thanks! Meggin  
  
-----------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Two-The Stepsisters**  
  
Amidst her horrible nightmares Arwen could make out a faint booming, like something knocking on a door. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! In her dreams the horrible nightmarish face of Lady Uggalflaed loomed about her. The face laughed, and Arwen cried out in pain and agony, plugging her ears to the best of her ability. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Arwen groaned and flipped over in her bed. Lady Uggalflaed's face disappeared, and this time replacing it with her whole body, dressed in one of Celebrian, her mother's white gowns which had been handed down to Arwen. This was enough!  
  
"No! Get out of that!" Arwen cried out in anguish, trying to run to the laughing, horrible Lady Uggalflaed. KNOCK!  
  
At last Arwen was roused. She jerked up in her bed, her back erect. Her eyes were wide open; she was sweating uncontrollably. Her hand drifted to her face, to the back of her neck. She was hot, and feverish. Her thoughts drifted back to the dream she had awoken from. Then the agonizing reality came back to her. Elrond would be marrying Uggalflaed in three days, counting that day. Her father would be going away to the Shire, leaving poor little her with the pig, and two other miniature pigs a.k.a. her stepsisters to be.  
  
"This can't be happening," Arwen mumbled under her breath, as she stood up. Her bare feet touched the cold floor. KNOCK KNOCK! "I'm coming!" she croaked. She went to her dresser and reached for her hairbrush (for you see, this is the number one essential thing elves must take care of early in the morning: their hair), tugging at her dark tresses. "I'm coming," she repeated. She set the hairbrush down, and went to the door, kind of dreading what would happen next. She twisted the doorknob.  
  
"Arwen." It was her Father. "Arwen, what has happened to you? Have you gone swimming lately? And in your good clothes?" Of course he was talking about her excessive amount of sweating. Arwen took a nearby cloth from her drawers and patted her skin.  
  
"I had a nightmare, father." Elrond took his daughter's arm and walked in her room, closing the door behind him. He sat down on her bed, and Arwen followed suit.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, strangely with no hint of worry. He did not wait for his daughter's answer though, and went right on talking. "Arwen, I want you to be on your best behavior today. Lady Uggalflaed's two daughters are coming over for breakfast, just to meet you, and to get to know the place. I want you to get accustomed to them- (here Arwen snorted)- and show them around the palace, and where they will be sleeping. I needn't worry about this as we've got plenty of spare rooms scattered about." Arwen closed her eyes, dreading the last part. "And of course, their mother will come along as well."  
  
"Father..." Elrond's far away look ended at once. He focused on his daughter. "Are you sure about this? I mean...your decision? Are you sure this is The One?" Elrond looked into her eyes.  
  
"Of course. I know I'm doing the right thing." He gathered her in a warm, hasty embrace. "I want the best for you, daughter." Arwen pulled away.  
  
"No."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"No. I don't think you're doing the right thing. In fact, I think you're just making me very, very unhappy." Elrond raised an eyebrow, quite intrigued. "I did not like the way she treated me yesterday, for crying out loud, she barely even spoke a word to her future step daughter! I did not like the way she shook my hand, it disgusts me to just think of it. I did not like her name, and will never like it as long as I live. I did not like her laugh...at all. It haunts my dreams. The bottom line is, Father, I do not think she would make a good mother for me at all." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "I don't think she'd ever, ever, ever measure up to my mother Celebrian." This was a very daring thing to say. Elrond sighed, and looked down at the floor, taking his daughter's hands in his.  
  
"Your mother is dead, Arwen, you know that. She has long passed away. She couldn't survive much longer with the poison running through her veins." Tears welled up in Arwen's eyes. Elrond raised a hand and gently wiped them away. "There are some things we must accept in our long lives, Arwen. I expected you to be more mature in handling this matter. It's a big step, but I'm positive it's all for the best." Arwen sat there wordless, staring at nothingness, letting the tears come free.  
  
"How could you?" she whispered fiercely, raising her eyes to look at him.  
  
"I do this because of you, Arwen. Lady Uggalflaed will make a terrific stepmother." Arwen rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, right," she muttered sarcastically. Elrond smiled, and stood up, bringing his daughter up with him.  
  
"Be on your best behavior," he ordered sternly, and with that he was off, slamming the door behind him. Arwen was left there standing.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening," she muttered to herself, sighing laboriously. Slowly she showered and dressed, trying to stall as much time as possible. She would do anything to keep from meeting Lady Uggalflaed and her daughters. After brushing her hair for the two hundredth seventy- second time, her hand simple could not take the pain anymore. Gasping a little bit, she dropped her hairbrush, and it thudded loudly against her wooden dresser. She had to go down. She might as well get it over with than dreading the meeting.  
  
Taking a deep breath, and gathering up all the courage left within her, Arwen exited her room and stepped down the stairs, going as slowly as possible. There were sixteen steps; she had counted before. She would take approximately three seconds going down each one. As Arwen was doing this rather tedious procedure, she could hear the loud gurglish voice of the one and only Lady Uggalflaed.  
  
"WHERE IS THAT DAUGHTER OF YOURS, ELROND, I'M NEARLY STARVING HERE!"  
  
Arwen grinned, and set her left foot down. Thirteen more steps to go.  
  
"ARWEN!" Her father boomed. His voice was dripping with impatience. Arwen shuddered, but kept on with her stalling. While doing this she closed her eyes and tried to picture what the stepsisters would look like. One would be rather fat with greasy golden hair, the other would be pale, skinny, ghastly little creature appearing to be dying of malnutrition. She opened her eyes. Six more steps to go.  
  
"ARWEN!!!!!!!" There was no mistaking this tone of her father's voice. Quickly Arwen rushed down the remaining steps of the stairs, and rushed into the dining area, bracing herself for the horrible image.  
  
"Finally!" There was Lady Uggalflaed, her hand raised to her sweating forehead in a dramatic way. "Well what are you waiting for?" She screamed to the servants. "Prepare the food!" Her hand collapsed as she closed her eyes and took deep breaths. "I nearly starved, my love, STARVED!" she moaned to Elrond.  
  
Arwen averted her eyes to the end of the long table. There sat two young elf maidens._ Well, one of my guesses was correct,_ Arwen thought optimistically to herself. One was a frail, skinny lady appearing to be slightly younger than her other sister, who, to Arwen's surprise, was rather beautiful, with long blond hair and pretty blue eyes. Arwen nearly refused to believe she was related to The Pig.  
  
Lady Uggalflaed seemed to wake up from her trance.  
  
"Girls!" she hissed at her daughters. "Your manners? Stand up and recite your names?" Sighing, the two elf maidens stood up. The pretty one shoved skinny one in the ribs with her elbow.  
  
"You go first," she snarled.  
  
"No, you go first!" the other one replied.  
  
"No, you go first!" the pretty one replied.  
  
"No, YOU-"  
  
"Hello, my name is Arwen," Arwen interrupted. She had grown rather tired of their bickering.  
  
"I'm Delia," the pretty one replied, snot in her voice. She shot daggers at her sister with her eyes.  
  
"I'm Primrose," she sighed delicately. "The prim- rose- get it? Get it?" She burst into an annoying fit of giggles. Delia rolled her eyes at this, as did Arwen.  
  
"Very well," Elrond bellowed. "Be seated, daughter." He motioned to the chair on his left hand. "Be seated." Arwen lifted her skirts and sat down. She was directly across from Uggalflaed. The servants passed out the breakfast foods, and they all tucked in. Arwen inspected the way everyone ate. Her father ate like he ruled the whole universe, his back straight, occasionally making eye contact with his guests. The Pig ate her food ravenously, devouring everything in a matter of seconds (without even using her napkin once). Delia ate in a lady like way, poising her utensils perfectly. Primrose held her knife like she was about to stab someone (A/N: lol, I do that...a disturbing habit I know).  
  
Everything went rather quickly. Soon the breakfast was over, in which no one spoke a single word, and then Arwen found herself stuck with her two future stepsisters.  
  
"Show them around," Elrond called out, his arm enveloped around Lady Uggalflaed's. "We will be taking a quick walk around the area." With that they were gone.  
  
Arwen turned around to find Delia and Primrose goggling at her. She sighed, and started up the stairs.  
  
"Where are you taking us first?" Delia asked in her snotty voice. Arwen shrugged.  
  
"Everywhere."  
  
"What kind of answer is that?" Then and there Arwen knew they would not be compatible. At all.  
  
"How about the bathrooms?" Arwen suggested.  
  
"How about your bedroom?" Primrose suggested at the same time.  
  
"Yes, your bedroom, Arwen. Let's see it," Delia agreed. Majority rules. She was out ruled. Arwen sighed again and continuing trudging up the stairs. Finally they reached their destination. Delia sighed...Arwen did not know if it was in adoration or in complete horror.  
  
It was in complete horror.  
  
"How could you sleep every night on this...this...THING?" Delia exclaimed, touching Arwen's velvet red bed, perfectly perfect.  
  
"Is there anything better?" Arwen retorted.  
  
"Your dresser, it is so empty!" Primrose chimed in. "Do you not wear make up at ALL?" The two continued rambling on.  
  
"CONTINUING!" Arwen had to scream over their voices. "TO THE BATHROOMS!" The stepsisters shut up and followed Arwen out.  
  
_ This has to be the worst day in my life,_ Arwen thought to herself miserably.  
  
---------------------------------------------  
  
This is a much longer chapter—I hope you all like it! The stepsisters are awful, aren't they? Don't worry. more evil laughter That's just the beginning. Only one thing left to say: READ AND REVIEW! I'M COUNTING ON MY READERS! Meggin 


	3. Wedding & Departure

**A r w e n e l l a  
**  
Hello hello! Thanks for the small amount of reviews for the second chapter... pretty please keep reading and reviewing because it feels like I'm writing for no reason (that means suggest me to friends, etc. Not only Arwenella is one of my best, lol! Check out Legolas' Love). I play Neopets, and Neopets is down so now I'll just get started on the 3rd chapter even though I have no idea what to write...I'll just write as I go along (it's what I do lol, no planning or webs for me!)  
  
Read and review and I'm the happiest person alive (eyes other fanfictions with like 250 reviews in envy...lol) See ya...and be patient if the Chapters come slow, the weekends have been pretty busy lately! Meggin  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Three- Wedding & Departure**  
  
Arwen stared at her reflection in the mirror, straightening out her tiara lying on top of her raven-colored hair. After smoothing everything out, she let her hands drop down at her side. She kept staring, and suddenly a strange question popped in her head: _Am I pretty?_ She looked at herself closely. _Well, I certainly look much better than Lady Uggalflaed_, and left it at that. She made sure her dress was the way it should be, wrinkle free and such. She had chosen a dark blue gown to match the color of her eyes. It was quite plain, with a bit of silver floral embroidery, compared to her stepsisters' dresses. Arwen didn't care anyway, her Father's wedding was something to mourn about to her, not something to rejoice of. She had actually considered wearing all black, from head to toe, but then her Father lectured her.  
  
"This is a wedding for Pete's sake, Arwen, not some funeral!"  
  
"It might as well be a funeral!"  
  
"Go back and choose a more appropriate attire!"  
  
Soon it was the day of the Wedding. It was quite convenient, as they were having it right on the grounds of the House of Elrond. Arwen had woken up extra early to get her clothing and refreshments preparations ready.  
  
Many people came from all over the place attended to witness this historical ('disgusting' and 'despicable', to Arwen) event. Most of them were elves, but dwarfs came along as well, along with some Men, other close friends of Elrond, and the rest were people Arwen had met before. The environment chosen was beautiful, the aisle where the bride was supposed to dramatically walk was bordered with beautiful flowers and fragrances. Trees and plants sprouted out everywhere, the grass was blanketed with fallen blossoms of various colors. Really the whole wedding was perfect—everything except the Bride and her daughters.  
  
Arwen took a deep breath after making touch ups on her gown, and stepped outside to where the Wedding was about to take place. She clutched the bouquet of flowers in her hands, and stepped up beside Delia and Primrose. Arwen tried to wrinkle her nose as inconspicuously as possible...the perfume scent on Delia was simply horrifying. Delia looked over at Arwen and smirked.  
  
"I can't believe you chose that pathetic nightgown to wear at this Wedding," Delia snottily said, fluffing her fat red and white skirts along the way. Arwen clenched her teeth and did not answer, fixing her eyes straight ahead of her. "I had actually thought you would have a better sense of style than that." She touched Arwen's sleeve and cringed. "It's so plain. My goodness, it's sickening to look at." Smirking once more, she patted her extra curly hair and straightened herself up. Primrose looked behind Delia's back to observe Arwen's attire.  
  
"It's not that bad," Primrose muttered. Delia snorted.  
  
"What are you talking about, it's hideous."  
  
"It's not that bad," she encouraged Arwen, then nodded her head to Delia's marshmallow-like dress. "But it doesn't match up to Delia's."  
  
"Oh shut up, mother's coming any minute."  
  
Silence corrupted the guests. They sat there, either staring at Elrond or staring at the sky or constantly swiveling their heads about to see if Lady Uggalflaed had come yet. One guest coughed. Arwen saw a guest who actually fell asleep in his lap.  
  
"NEVER FEAR, UGGALFLAED IS HERE!" came a gurgle-like voice. The guests gasped and turned around, staring at the sight before them.  
  
Arwen turned her head away, disgusted and hiding her tears. This simply wasn't right.  
  
There was Lady Uggalflaed, who seemed to have forced herself into a dress fit for Primrose's size. It was a horrible prune color, and the skirt poofed all the way around like a bird's cage or balloon. Her chubby arms fell clumsily at her side, and her heavy stomach slightly sagged out. She wore a purple veil over her face, so her identity was still hidden. People began to fidget even more. Some became too scared to behold the sight and turned their heads away, like Arwen, flinching.  
  
The music started. Lady Uggalflaed started the walk down the aisle, followed by two small boys picking up the trailing part of her skirt behind her. As rehearsed, Arwen began to step right after Lady Uggalflaed, but was rudely shoved the Delia, who cut her. Along came Primrose. Arwen sighed, clutched her bouquet of flowers even tighter to let her anger out other than on Delia's face, and walked directly afterwards to the beat of the music.  
  
Lady Uggalflad stopped in front of Elrond, and Delia, Primrose, and Arwen stepped to the side. The music came to a dramatic stop. The priest stepped forward and opened a rather thick book, and cleared his throat. Elrond smiled that sickening dreamy smile, reached out, and grasped Lady Uggalflad's veil. The guests began to murmur, turning to each other and whispering. Finally they stopped and held their breaths. It was so silent you could've heard a pin drop in the distance. He lifted the veil.  
  
The guests gasped, and began whispering to each other again. One close friend of Elrond's fainted, and Arwen felt sorry for her.  
  
The priest closed his eyes and seemed to mutter a prayer of bracing under his breath. He cracked open an eye, and closed them again, shuddering at the unusual ugliness of this elven maiden Elrond was to marry.  
  
"Well go on," Elrond urged the priest impatiently. "Proceed." The priest nodded, and flipped a page in his book. On he went on the traditional wedding speech, and all the while Arwen could see her Father's hand lovingly caressing Lady Uggalflaed's. She felt the tears come back again, but she hastily brushed them away.  
  
"Stop making a fool of yourself," Delia hissed at Arwen. Arwen glared at her.  
  
"Do you pledge to have this man as your loving husband, and love him for always and eternity, only till death parts you?" the priest asked Lady Uggalflaed.  
  
"I do," she gurgled in high pitched voice, batting her thick eyelashes at Elrond. The priest asked the Elf-Lord the same question.  
  
"I do," Elrond confirmed. Another woman fainted.  
  
"Well then," the priest concluded. "You may kiss the bride!" Elrond laughed, and tried to lift up Lady Uggalflaed in order to twirl her around just like they do in the 'happily ever after' endings for stories when the Prince finally meets his perfect girl. Unfortunately, he couldn't. After a couple more pathetic grunts and groans, Elrond gave up and just kissed her. The audience clapped half-heartedly. Arwen did not clap at all.  
  
**:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:**  
  
It was a dull, gray day. The heavy rain pattered angrily against the windows of the Palace. More and more thick clouds gathered in the sky, and more and more rain made their loud downpour.  
  
Arwen looked out her blurry window. The horses and carriage stood outside waiting. Today was the day when Elrond would depart to make his long journey to The Shire, to aid the hobbits with the medicine they needed. Arwen drew in a shuddering breath and sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. Quietly she fetched her cloak, shrugged it on, and made her way outside.  
  
Lady Uggalflaed, Delia, Primrose, and the servants were pressed against the walls under the shade of the porch roof, to avoid the rain. Lord Elrond looked up from fixing his clothes, and smiled as he saw his beloved Arwen come out. She returned his smile, although found it quite difficult to.  
  
Elrond stood back up from tying his laces, and finally hooded his face. Quietly he walked to Lady Uggalflaed, and gave her a tender kiss. Then he stopped in front of Delia and Primrose, muttered a few words in elvish, and gave them both gruff hugs. Finally, he stopped in front of Arwen. She hung her head, staring at her feet, letting the tears come loose. She sniffed and rubbed her tear stained face.  
  
"Arwen," Elrond breathed, cupping his daughter's chin in his hand, and tilting it up. She stared at her Father. "It is time for me to go. I know this is difficult for you, but you must trust your new Stepmother." He paused, caressing Arwen's face. "I will miss you, Daughter." He hugged her, and Arwen returned her embrace.  
  
"_Le melon_," she whispered amidst her crying.  
  
"_Le melon. Namárië, Arwen_." Gently he patted her hand, and stepped back. He tightened his cloak, stepped in the carriage, and was gone. Arwen followed his trail until her keen eyes could follow them no more.  
  
----------------------------------

Sad chapter, huh- so much for humor! Haha. Please read and review, I will try to get the rest of the chapters coming as soon as possible. I'm counting on ya'll! Meggin


	4. Cruelty

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Hello! To all my readers: THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING! It might seem like a small thing but for a writer like me it's a really huge favor! Thank you! I'm glad you're all enjoying it. As usual, be patient if the chapters come slow- I try to construct them and upload them from every other day to three days. If it's any more than that, that means I'm real busy, hehe! Anyway, again, I totally appreciate it. Keep it up! .::Meggin::.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Four- Cruelty  
**  
Delia grunted pathetically as she began lifting up her trunks and suitcases and boxes. She whimpered, gave up, and crossed her arms.  
  
"Hey! Arwen! Why don't you stop lying around and give me a hand here, will ya?" she yelled. Arwen stood up from her corner and walked over to Delia. It was shortly after Lord Elrond's departure , and now Lady Uggalflaed and her daughters were moving into the house. Arwen was trying to the best of her ability to be nice to her new sisters, but it was getting extremely difficult with them being so darn provocative. Delia kicked at her large trunk and huffed. "Carry that! And follow me to my room!" Arwen snorted.  
  
"_Excuse_ me?" Arwen retorted angrily. Delia sighed in impatience.  
  
"Hurry up! You're so slow! Follow me!" Delia picked up her skirt delicately and pattered into the palace. Not even a 'please', Arwen thought to herself bitterly, grabbing hold of the trunk and lifting it. She lagged after Delia who was searching through all the rooms in excitement, banging open the doors and rushing to the windows to see if they had good views. Finally she sighed in pleasure. "This one will do," she muttered to herself, twirling on the hard wooden floors of the second to the largest room in the castle. "Well, go on, set down my trunk and get my other things. And hurry up, I need help unpacking right away."  
  
Just as Arwen was about to retaliate, Lady Uggalflaed appeared in the doorway. She smiled, and laughed. Arwen cringed.  
  
"It's nice to see you girls getting along together," she commented in a rather syrupy voice. She fluffed her hair. "Well, I will be in my room unpacking. Arwen, why don't you make use of yourself and help Delia and Primrose get their things?" She hoggishly laughed again and left the doorway, leaving her strong scent of perfume lingering in the air.  
  
Delia slammed her fist down in impatience.  
  
"Arwen, did you not hear my mother? Get my things!"  
  
"They're your things as well, maybe you should go get some yourself!" Arwen screamed. Delia began brushing her hair as if she didn't hear her. Arwen fumed, balling her hands into fists. She delighted in the idea of punching Delia's face in, but controlled her anger and went down the stairs, breathing deeply.  
  
Outside she met Primrose, who had a much fewer amount of luggage than her sister.  
  
"She can get a bit bossy, eh?" She asked, grunting as she lifted her stuff against her frail body. Arwen glanced at her, and groaned.  
  
"Tell me about it," she muttered through clenched teeth. Primrose stopped, and tapped her chin.  
  
"Will you help me with my stuff too?" she asked eagerly, figuring if Delia could boss Arwen about she probably could too. Arwen sighed laboriously, and shrugged.  
  
"I guess," she answered. "I better get Delia's stuff up first." Primrose giggled in glee.  
  
Arwen lugged Delia's stuff into her room, thumping it loudly beside her other junk. Delia stopped brushing her hair and looked at Arwen blankly.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well what?" Arwen snarled. "I got your stuff for you, you could at least unpack yourself. Jeez!" Delia stood up menacingly, and walked slowly over to Arwen, her eyes getting beady.  
  
"Nobody talks back to me, you hear? What I say goes. Do you understand?" She boomed. Arwen rolled her eyes.  
  
"Whatever!" Delia huffed superiorly and knelt down on her knees, unzipping one of her bags. Arwen stood up and made her way out the door. She heard a soft gasp behind her. She couldn't help but turn around, and look.  
  
Delia was on her feet, unfolding a large poster, and pressing it against the wall. Arwen squinted her eyes. Printed upon it was a picture of what looked like a blond elf. Delia sighed lovingly and pressed her body against the poster, nearly swooning. As if in a trance, she extended her head and kissed the picture. Arwen coughed. Delia jumped, and turned around.  
  
"How dare you!" she raged, dropping the poster, blood rising to her cheeks. "How dare you, invade in such a private moment!" Arwen laughed.  
  
"Private..._moment_?" She stepped forward, and Delia stepped back, eying her suspiciously. "May I see your poster? Who is the elf upon it?" Delia hesitated, then stooped down and lifted it up. Arwen peered at the beauty before her, secretly starting to admire this unknown person. The dreaminess came back to Delia's eyes, and she sighed.  
  
"This is Legolas Greenleaf, the Prince of Mirkwood," she cooed in a trance-like way, rocking back and force with the poster in her embrace. It was a slightly disgusting sight. "The love of my life," she whispered dramatically under her breath. She gasped again, and spun her head to look at Arwen, who was staring at the poster in interest. "How dare you!" she screamed, suddenly realizing she was pouring out her deepest thoughts to someone she barely knew. "I...I command you to tell no one of this!" she yelled stupidly. Arwen shrugged.  
  
"Sure." Delia stared her down.  
  
"You must promise!" Arwen laughed.  
  
"Could you tell me more about this Legolas? I mean, have you two met before?" Delia went back in the trance in the mere mention of his name.  
  
"Well, I have never met him before, but I most certainly would love to. He is fleet-footed, keen-sighted, and a wonderful archer and knife- fighter, and he is so _cute_!!!" She muttered this last word in a high squeak. Arwen was fascinated and had a longing to meet this interesting creature herself. She was jolted out of her thoughts as she heard Delia's normal, loud, snotty voice. "Hey! Don't just stand there, vermin, help me unpack!"  
  
She might as well have said "unpack", for Arwen did all the work anyway.  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
As the days flew by Lady Uggalflaed and her daughters became slightly crueler and bossier. Before Arwen knew it she was forced out of her bedroom to make way for a 'second bedroom' for Delia, and began sleeping downstairs on mangy cots with the servants. She was sweeping, mopping, doing laundry, cooking, literally slaving away at all the chores that were to be done around the castle. Although this was all very wrong indeed, Arwen wanted her Father to come home proud and happy of her daughter, so she kept her feelings in and persisted. And all the while, Arwen became more and more miserable.  
  
As Arwen was scrubbing the floor she ran into a large mirror, simply hanging against the wall. She stopped, and stared at herself, as if she hadn't seen herself for ages. She touched her dirt smeared face, her tangled hair which hadn't been washed for days. Her hand drifted down to her dress, dirty and stinking from the kitchen work, and to the apron hanging about her waist, smudged with dirt. She stared at herself, trying to recognize her reflection. Who was this? Certainly this could not be Arwen Undomiel. It couldn't be the royal maiden, daughter of Elrond, the Princess of Rivendell. Princesses don't scrub floors and wear dirty aprons.  
  
"Arwen!" Delia's snot stricken voice rung in the air. It was filled with hatred, authority, and impatience. Mechanically Arwen rose to her feet, and rushed into Delia's room. She stopped, gasping for air. Delia looked at Arwen, and laughed. She got off her bed and began circling her, staring her down. "Look at yourself," she muttered, slightly gloating. "Wearing those rags. Look at your hair, your face." She laughed again. "You look terrible!" Arwen stared at the floor, anger rising to her cheeks.  
  
"_Shut up_," she murmured under her breath, clenching her fists. Delia raised and eyebrow.  
  
"What did you say?" Arwen thought of her father, and took a deep breath.  
  
"N-nothing, Delia." Her stepsister smiled.  
  
"Good. You know no one answers back to me." She stopped to look at her fingernails. "Well then. We must get to work, shouldn't we? I want you to dust my room and sweep the floor. If I come back in this room and find it not spick and span, we shall have you sleep by the fireplace, on the ! Ha! Ha! Now get to work!" She rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her, ignorant of the fact that her skirt had caught in the doorway, and along with large _RIIIIIIIIIIP_, a huge chunk of her skirt had been torn off. Arwen smiled. She may be beautiful, but her stupidity had not lost its potency.  
  
The only comfort Arwen found in working in Delia's room was the large poster hanging on the left wall. As she was sweeping the floor, she would always stop and look at it, to admire it, wondering about Legolas Greenleaf, and the yearning to meet him growing ever stronger.  
  
Primrose barged in abruptly, and Arwen tore her gaze from the poster, dropping her broom in surprise.  
  
"Primrose!" she breathed, breathless. "What are you doing here?" She skinny girl waved an envelope in the air.  
  
"It's a letter for you. Just arrived in the mail today." She looked around her shoulder, making sure no one was listening. "Mother was just about to throw it away, but I snatched it when her back was turned." Arwen smiled. Primrose was her favorite of the stepsisters (duh), and although she was slightly...er...slow, she still managed to be kind to Arwen. "It's from Lord Elrond, your Father, and I know how much it would mean to you to get a letter from him."  
  
A letter from Father!  
  
Arwen dashed forward and grabbed it greedily from her, muttering a quick 'thanks'. She opened it and unfolded the slip of paper, scanning it quickly:  
  
_Dear Arwen:  
  
I apologize for not writing to you soon enough, but the ill hobbits here certainly have kept me busy. How is everything there? I shall not worry, I know you are in good hands. Lady Uggalflaed is a fine maiden, as is her daughters. You should be all right with them. Anyhow, I regret to say I shall have to extend my stay here. The elvish medicine has helped the halflings' healing process quicken, oh yes, but the ailment has been highly contagious recently, and it has spread all over the Shire, and a bit beyond. Because I cannot handle all of this I will be soon calling for reinforcements.  
Meanwhile, I want you to remember our agreement. Be on your best behavior. I look forward to our reunion.  
  
As always,  
  
Your Father, Elrond  
_  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
The lithe, blond elf stood calmly in front of the large, intricately carved wooden doors. Sighing impatiently, he knocked again, louder this time. With a large creak that rung out in the old Hall, the door was opened to him. Two guards nodded their heads in greeting.  
  
"Your father Thranduil wishes to speak with you," one of them said.  
  
"Thank you," the blond elf replied, and stepped forward, making his way down the corridor, later meeting with another large door. He knocked.  
  
"Come in," came a gruff, distant voice. The elf twisted the doorknob and stepped it, quietly closing it behind him. It was dark inside, save the fireplace in which the flame within danced and crackled, sending a dim glow about the room. Thranduil the elf King sat in the Shadows, penning something on a piece of parchment. He stopped as his son approached, and glanced up.  
  
"Legolas," he breathed. He gestured to another chair close by. "Take a seat. We must have little...chat." Ice ran through Legolas' blood. Knowing what it was probably about already, he obeyed and sat down, gripping the arm rests tightly in nervousness. Thranduil pondered, stroking his chin in thought.  
  
"Well go on," Legolas interrupted. "I haven't got all day. I've got some hunting to do!" Thranduil raised a hand.  
  
"Calm yourself, son. We must have a chat."  
  
"WELL CHAT ALREADY!" Thranduil pondered some more, choosing his words carefully.  
  
"Legolas, have you...ah...felt..._different_, lately? Sort of _left out_?" Legolas stared at his father in complete confusion.  
  
"Um..." Thranduil sighed. _Heck, let's just get to the point_, the elf King thought to himself.  
  
"I am thinking about throwing a Ball..." Legolas jolted up to his feet in rage.  
  
"_No! We are NOT having a ball, and we are NOT inviting elvish girls to it, and I am NOT getting married. _Period. Duh." Legolas flopped back in his chair and sighed. (See, now you know the consequences of fame. They can be devastating.)  
  
"Well..." Thranduil paused, a bit desperate. "That's...exactly what I was planning to do." Legolas groaned. "Son, I am doing this for you. I am doing this for your own good! It just _pains_ me to see you walk around...walk around..._single_!" He yelled, for a lack of a better word. He sighed, and all of a sudden regained his authority. "Anyway, I will be sending out the invitations soon, for _every eligible maiden_ to attend, whether you like it or not. We will be having this Ball in five days...whether you like it or not." Legolas opened his mouth to protest, but Thranduil slammed down his gavel (hah! Like a judge!) in anger.  
  
Legolas slumped in his seat, defeated. Thranduil smiled in the shadows, placed his pen on the parchment, and continued writing.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Whoah, I thought I had writer's block there for a moment...halfway in this chapter. Anyhow PLEASE REVIEW AND RECOMMEND ME TO FRIENDS. PLEASE. .::Meggin::. 


	5. The Invitation

**A r w e n e l l a  
**  
Wow! I never thought I'd get this many reviews, compared to the amount I got on the first chapter! What can I say...thank you! Your comments really have kept me writing. I know I took slightly long on getting this chapter up, but you know what writer's block can do to you...ARG! Hehe, anyways. Please read and review, as usual. It is most appreciated. .::Meggin::.  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Five- The Invitation**  
  
The hand in which Arwen held the letter quivered. The letter fell.  
  
"No," Arwen moaned under her breath. "_No_!" Primrose, not wanting to witness Arwen's dramatic breakdown, professionally slinked away. Arwen collapsed on Delia's bed and balled her hands into fists. "Extended stay?" she muttered to herself, sighing, rubbing her forehead. "How could Father _do_ this to me? How could he _ruin _my life like this?" She groaned and flopped on her back, and stared at the ceiling, not knowing if she should cry or be angry. She turned her head to the side and saw the beloved Legolas poster. A smile flickered on Arwen's face.  
  
"_Ahem_," came a snotty voice from the doorway. Arwen jerked up from the bed immediately, laughing nervously. Delia entered, apparently enraged. "Taking a little snooze on my bed, I see? Did you not hear what I said? I said to sweep the floor and dust the room! Hello?! Do you need hearing aids or something?"  
  
"I wasn't sleeping," Arwen protested. "I simply lost control-"  
  
"And what's this?" Delia asked, scooping up the fallen letter. Her eyes darted across the page. "Ha! Well here's some good news."  
  
Arwen boiled in anger.  
  
"We shall speak of this no more." Delia ripped up the letter and discarded it in a nearby trashcan. "You shall sleep by the fireplace tonight."  
  
"But-"  
  
"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?" Delia screamed, stomping her feet on the ground. "You shall sleep by the fireplace tonight!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"And because you're so stupidly willing to answer back to me, let's make you sleep by the fireplace for the rest of the week!" Delia pointed a bony finger out her door. "Now leave, you pathetic waste!" Arwen clenched her teeth and exited, cringing at the loud bang of the slammed door. "_Ah, Legolas my love." _Arwen stopped and kneeled down on the floor, pressing her ear against Delia's door. Delia was having a conversation with her poster again. Arwen suppressed her laughter as she continued eavesdropping. "_Legolas, my golden haired, fleet footed beloved_." Arwen almost burst out in giggles.  
  
"Having fun, eh?"  
  
Arwen panicked and jolted up to her feet. Before her was Lorain, one of the house servants. Arwen blushed in embarrassment, and then laughed softly.  
  
"Well, you know, it's Delia. Funny how she talks with a poster, you know."  
  
A mischievous look crossed the bronze face of Lorain, and she too laughed with Arwen. Tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear, she knelt down on the floor and began scrubbing it.  
  
"Yeah, that Delia. She gives me the creeps. I can't wait until Lord Elrond comes back, so he could run the house properly. That Lady Uggalflaed makes us work double time. Never gives us any time for ourselves, no peace and quiet."  
  
Arwen nodded in agreement, kneeling down to help with the floor. They worked in silence for a moment, until Lorain spoke up again.  
  
"How can you bear it, Lady? How can you bear their treatment, them treating you like one of us?" Lorain shook her head in anger. "That's not the way it's supposed to be. Lady Arwen, you are the Evenstar of our people. You should not be treated like a servant. Do you realize it? You're practically _becoming_ one of us!" Lorain sighed and continued with the scrubbing.  
  
"Well, see, I know. I know it's all wrong, but I don't want to disappoint Father when he comes back."  
  
"The heck with that! I bet Lord Elrond would be disappointed with this treatment those pigs are giving you now!" Her eyes fell down to the cloth Arwen was using to scrub the floor. "Look at you. Out of all the things you could be doing, you're cleaning the floors with me."  
  
Arwen raised a hand. "Lorain, please, calm down! I...I can bear it. When Father comes home things will be right again. I...just don't want to risk him getting mad at me. I agreed to be on my best behavior, and if that means cleaning floors with the servants, I will do it."  
  
Lorain goggled at her.  
  
"I don't believe your stubbornness, Lady," Lorain breathed in amazement.  
  
"Please, call me Arwen."  
  
Lorain paused.  
  
"Arwen." She blinked, and began working on the floor again, Arwen alongside of her. A voice erupted from inside Delia's room.  
  
_"My love. My sweetheart. My darling. My one and only Legolas, you are mine, my love. Someday we shall meet. Someday we shall finally embrace and declare our everlasting love for each other. One day our lips shall meet and we shall live happily ever after! For you and I...we are destined to be together!"_  
  
Lorain and Arwen couldn't help it. They erupted in loud, guffawing snorts, slapping their knees and banging the floor hysterically, tears literally streaming down their faces in laughter.  
  
"The Prince of Mirkwood, falling in love with Delia the Snot?" Lorain blurted out, causing the two of them rolling on the floor in laughter once again. There was sudden silence from Delia's room.  
  
"I think she heard us," Arwen said weakly amidst her giggles. Lorain tugged at her sleeve and pulled her up.  
  
"Come on!" she yelled playfully, and they ran down the hallway just in time as Delia banged open the door, swiveling her head about, wondering where the totally unlady-like laughter was coming from.  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
Arwen shivered, pulling her torn blanket closer about her shoulders. She yawned and cracked open an eye. The sun's tiny rays trickled through the window and into the dark room. The fire, which had been burning steadily last night, had burned away into ash. Slowly she sat up, rubbing the soot off her skin. She sniffed the air and groaned, disgusted with her stink. Immediately she got up, grabbed her garden things, and went outside. It was approximately 6:00am in the morning.  
  
She was the first one awake, as usual. The other servants got up around 7:00, but Arwen used the extra hour as free time for herself, and to get a few of the chores done.  
  
She kneeled down by the garden she was to tend to daily, and began working on the flowers, watering them, and pulling out the weeds. The crisp, salty air filled her nostrils, and she sighed happily. It was just her and the world- no one else. Just her and her flowers. As she was working, she noticed the lake nearby.  
  
After the garden work she shed off her outer clothing and dove into the lake, floating on her back and washing herself. The water felt good on her aching, tired body. She splashed it on her face, her legs, her arms. So cool, so refreshing...  
  
She saw movement in the corner of her eye. She floated upright, trying to see who it was.  
  
The mailman! There might be another letter from Father.  
  
Quickly Arwen climbed up to shore and put her clothes on, squeezing the excess water out of her dark tresses. Barefoot, she ran to the mailbox and flung the door open, reaching her hand inside and feeling around for any letters.  
  
There was merely one.  
  
Arwen grasped the thick parchment and pulled it out. It looked quite formal, so she flipped it to the other side to try and see who it was from:  
  
**Read Quickly.  
Very important.  
In fact, it has Prince Legolas' life at Stake.  
_AN INVITATION FROM THE KING OF MIRKWOOD!_  
  
**She almost dropped the letter in shock. A letter! From the Elf King of Mirkwood! In excitement she tore it open and unfolded the parchment inside. Prince Legolas' life at stake? This had to be very important indeed.  
  
**You are cordially invited to a Royal Ball tomorrow night in the palace of  
Mirkwood.  
A special party for Prince Legolas Greenleaf (who is still single, hint  
hint)!  
EVERY ELIGIBLE MAIDEN OF THE HOUSEHOLD IS TO ATTEND (no excuses).  
Please attend if you can make it.  
Obviously this is very urgent. So come! Ha! Ha!  
  
Yours,  
  
King Thranduil  
**  
Arwen raised and eyebrow, and reread the letter again. It was written in a rather odd fashion, but Arwen didn't care. A _Ball!_ A party in Mirkwood for _Prince Legolas_! And Arwen's favorite part: _Every eligible maiden of the household was to attend_! She jumped up and threw a fist in the air.  
  
"YES!!"  
  
Suddenly Arwen paused, and sadness flooded her body. What was she thinking? Of course Lady Uggalflaed wouldn't let her come. She was considered a servant in the house. And Delia certainly wouldn't like it, not at all.  
  
But she was still part of the family! She was Arwen, daughter of Elrond, an eligible part of the household! Surely Lady Uggalflaed couldn't be _that _heartless.  
  
She clutched the letter in her hand and walked into the palace, just staring at it, a wide smile on her face.  
  
"Oi! Arwen! What have you got there?"  
  
Arwen looked up, and saw Lorain at the staircase.  
  
"It's an invitation from the King! There's to be a ball tomorrow night for Prince Legolas Greenleaf! Every eligible maiden of the household is to attend! _I might be able to come_!"  
  
Lorain rushed down and snatched the parchment from her hands. She read the letter herself and jumped up in glee.  
  
"What do you mean you _might_ be able to come? _Of course_ you can come! You're a part of the family!"  
  
Arwen's smile faded.  
  
"Do you really think so? Do you really think Lady Uggalflaed will let me come?" Hope beamed from her eyes.  
  
"Of course. She's got to. You're her step daughter- you're a part of the family. And look-" She pointed to the letter. "Every eligible maiden is to attend- no excuses- in the order of King Thranduil."  
  
Arwen stood in silence, taking it all in. Sighing, she took the letter from Lorain and folded it up.  
  
"I'll have to show this to them once their awake...goodness, I really hope they'll let me come. That would be so exciting! I'll actually be able to meet Legolas! And dance in a fancy dress! And be treated like a normal person again!"  
  
Lorain laughed. "You fancy the Prince too?"  
  
Arwen paused. "I guess so. I find him quite interesting."  
  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
  
Arwen knocked on Lady Uggalflaed's door, and held her breath. She was shaking uncontrollably, fidgeting in nervousness.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Her breath still inside her, she twisted the doorknob and stepped inside the large room. Lady Uggalflaed was seated on her bed, along with her two daughters Delia and Primrose, still in their nightgowns.  
  
"Aw, mum, what the heck is _she _doing here?" Delia complained, wrinkling her nose in disgust.  
  
"Be silent, Delia." Lady Uggalflaed reached to the table beside her and held up a cup of tea, sipping from it delicately. "Come, Arwen. What have you done now? Have you broken another vase?"  
  
"No," Arwen replied softly. She took out the folded letter from her pocket. "It's this letter. It just arrived in the mail today-"  
  
"OH MY GOODNESS!" Delia dashed up to Arwen and rudely the grabbed the letter from her. Her eyes whisked across the page and Arwen could swear she almost saw her cry tears of joy. Delia closed her eyes and embraced the letter close to her bosom, falling on her knees and rocking back in forth in pure bliss.  
  
"What in heaven's name are you doing, Delia?" Lady Uggalflaed asked, furious.  
  
"KING THRANDUIL OF MIRKWOOD IS THROWING A PARTY FOR PRINCE LEGOLAS! IT'S A ROYAL BALL! IT'S TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!!" She lowered her voice, and it was quivering with excitement. "And I am coming!"  
  
"Well duh," said Primrose, who had taken the letter and read it for herself. "By the order of the King every eligible maiden must attend- no excuses." She raised her eyes to look at Arwen. "Why, Arwen, that means you can come as well!"  
  
Delia's face turned bright pink.  
  
"Mother, surely you wouldn't let Arwen come? She's a sickening servant! She would never be welcome in the Palace of Mirkwood!"  
  
"Why, no fair Delia! Arwen is our stepsister and she has every right to-"  
  
"SILENCE, BOTH OF YOU!" Lady Uggalflaed's shrill voice pierced the air. The two of them shut up. Arwen stood in the corner, cowering. Lady Uggalflaed stood up and approached Arwen. "Do you wish to come, Arwen?"  
  
Arwen nodded nervously.  
  
"As you wish. Then you may come."  
  
"BUT MOTHER!" Delia exclaimed, ready to have a heart attack.  
  
"_If_-" Lady Uggalflaed paused dramatically, her eyebrows narrowing forward, causing wrinkles to appear at her forehead. Arwen held her breath. "_If_ you take and finish all the chores of every servant today. That means the servants will get a day off and you will be responsible for fulfilling every chore and task in this palace. Once every chore is done, and once you find a suitable attire-"She wrinkled her nose at Arwen's rags. "Then- you may go."  
  
Arwen nearly died.  
  
"Thank you _so much_, Stepmother! I promise! I promise to fulfill your wish!" She made an attempt to hug her, but changed her mind.  
  
"Begone, Arwen. We are leaving late tonight, it is a long way to Mirkwood. Make haste."  
  
"Thanks," she said once again, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
Once she was out, she jumped up and threw both fists in the air.  
  
"YES!!!!"  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Hey! I hope you all liked that. Please read and review! The plot thus thickens...and more chapters will be on their way! Please read and review, my fellow friends! This whole story depends on YOU! .::Meggin::. 


	6. Betrayal

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Hello there! Oh my goodness, I am taking much longer constructing and uploading my chapters, and I know you readers are getting very anxious about the whole story. Please save all your questions about when the characters will come in- each character will come in on their own special time. And this story will only have about eleven or twelve chapters, so it's quite soon (alright, yes, Aragorn is in this story)!  
  
As usual please help me out and read and review. Please make your reviews beneficial, so if you're gonna criticize please explain why (for example, don't put "you stink", put "you stink because you have really bad grammar"...I don't have bad grammar, do I? Lol!). Thank you! And enjoy! .::Meggin::.  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Six- Betrayal  
**  
"What?" Lorain blinked in confusion. "She's actually letting you go?"  
  
"Yes," Arwen said, breathless, rushing around in the room and gathering cleaning materials: a broom, a rag, and so on. Lorain stood there, looking thoughtful. "Can you believe it?"  
  
"That's strange. She let you go, just like that? Wow. That's...weird. That's so unlike Lady Uggalflaed."  
  
"I don't care!" Arwen jumped in glee. "I get to _go_, don't you get it? I get to wear a dress, not these measly servant rags. I get to attend the ball, and...oh, it will be so much _fun_!" She stepped out of the supply room, waiting for Lorain. "But there is a catch. Tell the others they get a day off-"  
  
Lorain smiled in excitement.  
  
"-and that I will take all the chores and do them myself. If I finish all of them today, I'll get to go!"  
  
Lorain gasped, anger rising to her cheeks. "But that's not fair! You can't finish everything in one day!"  
  
"Yes I can," Arwen replied confidently. "If I work fast and put my heart to it." She looked at Lorain. "Well go on, tell the others, quick!"  
  
Lorain snorted. "And where are you going to get your 'fancy dress', eh, Arwen? You remember that day when Delia stripped your closet of everything that was worth anything, don't you?"  
  
Arwen's heart sank. "I'll figure out something. Just tell the others to drop what they're doing." She clutched her broom. "I'll get to work on the floors."  
  
Lorain left with a skeptical look on her face.  
  
**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
**  
Arwen slaved away with every bit of strength that was left in her tired body. She was determined to attend the ball, and she would do almost anything to get to go. She was hoping to have at least a bit of spare time to look for a decent attire, but Delia and Lady Uggalflaed piled more and more chores upon her throughout the day: the laundry, the dishes, more tending to the garden.  
  
"Oi! Cinder girl!"  
  
Arwen stopped in her tracks. Cinder girl? That was the first time she was ever called that before. She looked down at herself and realized she was dirtier and more pathetic than she had ever looked in days. She whisked around, and saw Delia in a fat poofy dress.  
  
"Don't just stand there, help me thread up the back of this dress!" Delia called out impatiently. Arwen sighed exasperatedly.  
  
"Delia, I can't right now. I've got loads of work ahead of me-"  
  
"JUST GET HERE NOW!"  
  
Arwen hated that voice. But with that voice she knew she had to obey, or things would just get worse. She dropped her broom and rushed over to where Delia was standing in front of the mirror. Taking the strings, she laced up the back of her stepsister's dress.  
  
"Tighter," Delia commanded.  
  
Arwen pulled with all her might.  
  
"Tighter," Delia repeated.  
  
"That's as far as it will go," Arwen choked, her hands red and raw from pulling.  
  
"_Tighter_," Delia repeated, pulling down the front of her dress, revealing part of her bosom in a very immodest way. Arwen pulled.  
  
"Can't you _breathe_?" Arwen asked incredulously.  
  
"Don't ask stupid questions, Cinder girl. Finish up the work, so you can start on my laundry."  
  
Arwen rolled her eyes and tied up the remnants of the strings. Delia stepped back from the mirror, admiring her squished up body. She sighed happily and fluffed her curls.  
  
"Don't I look beautiful, Arwen? Don't I look simply dashing? Don't you want to look as I do, beautiful in every way, and not wearing such filthy rags?"  
  
Arwen stared at her dirty face, and then at Delia's upturned nose, clean, and perfect. "I'd rather die in the hands of the Uruk-Hai than look a single thing like your selfish, bratty, inconsiderate, filthy self," Arwen stated proudly. She gasped at her words. She was in serious trouble now.  
  
Delia just laughed. "Oh really? How wise, Cinder girl. You're just earned yourself extra chores for today." She picked up a humongous pile of clothes from her bed and dumped them into Arwen's arms. "I want these washed, dried, and folded by tonight. Make haste."  
  
Arwen lost her balance and dropped some of the clothes. Clumsily she stooped down to pick them up.  
  
"Clumsy, clumsy. What a total shock you will be at the Ball." Delia turned around and admired herself in the mirror.  
  
Arwen clenched her teeth and exited the room, wobbling as she made her way to the laundry area. How she longed for nose plugs, as Delia's clothes stank of a combination of expired milk and garlic.  
  
"Hey! Arwen!" Primrose called. She hadn't called her Cinder girl. She never had. "You need some help?"  
  
"Oh, no, please don't. I have to do everything myself, or else I won't get to go."  
  
Primrose walked over to her in her purple dress, quite poofy at the bottom, but more modest than Delia's revealing gown. She was frowning.  
  
"What's wrong?" Arwen laughed. "Aren't you excited to go?"  
  
"No," she replied. "I can't believe this. I hate Balls. I hate anything social. And I hate Prince Legolas, I don't even know why Delia likes him so much. He's just a stupid blond elf on a stupid poster." She sighed. "But mom said I absolutely must go. This sucks big time."  
  
"All I have to worry about is finishing the chores on time and finding something decent to wear. It's getting quite hard with Stepmother and that brat sister of yours giving me new chores every minute." She wiped the sweat off her forehead. "I feel like plopping on a soft feather mattress and sleeping for an eternity."  
  
Primrose smiled.  
  
"I'm glad mother actually let you go. Delia can get a bit unfair sometimes. I mean, you're our stepsister. You have every right to go." She waved her hand and went back inside her room. "Good luck, Arwen. Hurry up so you'll finish everything."  
  
"Thanks," Arwen replied, grateful to have someone nice from her new family. She wobbled into the washroom and dumped Delia's smelly clothes into the washer. She sank to the floor and closed her eyes, breathing in the clean air. "This has got to be the _longest _day of my life."  
  
**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.  
**  
It was 11:00pm. They were to depart for Mirkwood at 12:00pm, Midnight, merely an hour later.  
  
Lorain was reading a book down in the servant's headquarters when Arwen unexpectedly collapsed in her arms, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.  
  
"Arwen!" she exclaimed, lifting her friend up to her feet. "What on Earth has happened to you?"  
  
"I'm finished," she replied weakly. "I'm finished with all the chores. I've already showered. I get to go." She stopped, swallowing. "I don't have a dress yet," she sobbed pathetically.  
  
"Shush, Arwen. Let me get you a drink of water." Lorain hastily filled up a glass and shoved it into Arwen's hands, who drank everything up in a matter of seconds. "And you told me you were going to 'figure this whole dress issue out'? And here you are, without a decent thing to wear." She raised her hands up. "Heaven help us."  
  
"Delia, Primrose, and Lady Uggalflaed are out in the living room talking," Arwen remembered, her voice less hoarse now. "We can rummage through Delia's closet and find something suitable." She shrugged. "Half the clothes are mine anyway, it won't be like stealing."  
  
Lorain snapped her fingers. "Right. Come on, we've got no time to waste. Hurry!"  
  
The two scrambled stealthily up the stairs. After checking that the coast was clear (in case Delia came back up to fetch her purse or something), they quietly slipped in unnoticed into their victim's room.  
  
"Here we are," Lorain breathed. "Goodness, it stinks in here."  
  
"Tell me about it," Arwen agreed, flinging open Delia's closet. She searched through the dresses, and found the dark blue one with floral embroidery, the one she had worn back on the day her Father and Lady Uggalflaed had married. _And I thought she hated this dress,_ she thought bitterly to herself. _What a hypocrite._ She rummaged some more.  
  
"Hurry, Arwen," Lorain snapped, tapping her foot and staring down at her wristwatch. "It's 11:30, they're leaving in half an hour."  
  
"I'm trying," she replied, searching through a stack of folded gowns. Amidst a pile of plain gowns, a white, lacy dress stuck out. Just because of curiosity, she pulled out the white dress and unfolded it, standing up and holding it against her body. She faced the mirror and gasped. "It's my mother Celebrian's dress. This is what she wore on her wedding day, the day she married Father." Anger filled her voice. "I've been looking for this. Out of all the dresses, Delia had to steal this too, didn't she?" She held up the sleeve to her cheek, and sighed. "The only memory of the mother I once had."  
  
"It's beautiful," Lorain commented, eyeing the gown with a smile on her face. "Try it on, Arwen. You deserve it. Delia has no right to take this lovely piece from you."  
  
Arwen smiled, undressed, and slipped on the gown. It was nearly a perfect fit. She stepped in front of the mirror, and gasped. It was Arwen Undomiel. She saw no trace of the Cinder girl, but saw herself. Arwen. Simply Arwen. Beautiful Arwen.  
  
Lorain stepped behind her and gasped as well, a smile spreading on her face.  
  
"Lady, you look beautiful." She took out a tiara from behind her back and placed it atop Arwen's head, a fine touch to the white gown. "There, you're all set."  
  
Arwen turned around, and gave Lorain a hug.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Lorain hugged her back for a moment, and then quickly pulled away, checking her wristwatch. "11:55! They're leaving in five minutes! Hurry, Arwen!"  
  
Arwen picked up her skirts and dashed down the stairs, being careful not to dirty her skirt. She walked into the living room, greeting two shocked faces, and the kind face of Primrose.  
  
"What-the-" Delia stammered. Her eyes grew beady with hatred and jealousy. She jumped to her feet and pointed to Arwen's dress. "Theif! Theif! Mother, she took that from my closet! That's my dress! Mine!"  
  
"No it's not, Delia. This is mine. It was handed down to me by my mother Celebrian. You have no right to own this." She paused. "Any of my clothes, in fact."  
  
Lady Uggalflaed stood up, alarmed.  
  
"And I finished all my chores today!" Arwen yelled. "Every single one!" She touched her sleeve. "And I've chosen a perfect attire! I can go, right? You told me I could!"  
  
She looked at Primrose, looking at her questioningly. She simply shook her head and sighed sadly, staring into her lap.  
  
To Arwen's despair, the cold, booming laugh of Lady Uggalflaed filled her ears.  
  
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
Delia, realizing what was going on, laughed along with her mother. Together they were the ugliest sound ever. Primrose simply stared at her lap, shaking her head in fury.  
  
"What is going on?" Arwen asked, frightened. She took a step back. "Aren't we supposed to leave now?" It was 11:58.  
  
"Did you seriously-" Lady Uggalflaed took a step forward, approaching Arwen. "-_think_ that I meant that? Did you seriously think a pathetic servant like yourself would be allowed the in the Royal Palace of Mirkwood? Heaven forbid!" She stopped to laugh. "What a foolish joke! What folly! Of course you aren't coming!"  
  
"But...but- I finished all the chores-I did the floors-"  
  
Lady Uggalflaed picked up a bag and ripped it open, letting small kernels of corn spill out on the floor. The kernels scattered around Arwen's feet.  
  
"_No you did not_," she answered, pure malice in her voice. Tears came to Arwen's eyes.  
  
"But-"  
  
"COME ALONG, LADIES!" She yelled to Delia and Primrose. Delia was gloating, and Primrose was still shaking her head, casting a sorry look at Arwen. "Off we go to the Ball. We've no time to waste." She sniffed at Arwen. "And leave this pitiful Cinder girl behind."  
  
The three exited, slamming the large double doors behind them, leaving poor Arwen standing there, her face smeared with salty tears.  
  
Lorain, who was watching from the staircase, rushed down to Arwen at once. The other servants peered shyly around the corners, feeling Arwen's sadness.  
  
"Oh, Arwen, I'm so sorry! How could they do this to you?"  
  
Arwen stood there, staring into nothingness, her tears flowing forth. She licked her lips and tried to speak, but no words came out. She was completely spent. She was completely betrayed.  
  
Stifling a sob, she pushed away Lorain's consoling hand and ran outside, into the rain. She watched the carriage containing her stepfamily ride away, slowly fading.  
  
Arwen didn't think. All she remembered was that she ran. She ran and ran for all she was worth, flinging away branches and obstacles. She ran into the comfort of the woods, the only friend she had that would appreciate her mournful cry.  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
All I can say is- read and review. Review, please, please, please. Review, and you'll get the chapters. Thanks! .::Meggin::. 


	7. The Ranger

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Thank you guys SO MUCH for the reviews you've been giving me! tackles everyone Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me! Anyway, more chapters are coming your way. Just keep reviewing, and before you know it this story will be complete (oh, I delight in the idea. I have some other FanFictions I want to get working on, but first I have some work to do...this one!). Enjoy! .::Meggin::.  
  
NOTE: Everything in this story is FICTION. Yes, I took some of Tolkien's work and changed it a little bit so everything would blend in with the story. So if you spot something, please don't point it out (oh my goodness, that's the wrong location...oh my goodness, that's not what happened!). I purposely changed it in order to blend it in with the story. Thanks for your cooperation.  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Seven- The Ranger  
**   
The heavy rain abated into a small, light drizzle. The sky above was the blackest of black, with the specks of stars scattered. The pale moon shone down upon the ground, guiding the path of the elven maiden, who was winding her way intricately through the trees, picking up her skirts as not to ruin her dress. Like a wisp of wind she ran, and the only panicked thought on her mind was to get away- as far away as possible.  
  
Arwen hastily brushed away a tear. Her breathing became labored. After a few more minutes her muscles ached agonizingly, and she tripped on a tree root, and fell. Using the palms of her hands she stopped her fall before the moist leaves touched her dress. She clutched the bark of the tree to support herself as she scrambled back up, weeping.  
  
"Where am I?" she whispered to herself, swiveling her head about, looking at her surroundings. "I'm lost. I'm_ lost_," she moaned to herself. "I'll never make it to the Ball now." Picking a fairly dry spot in the grass, she took a seat on the forest floor. "Calm down, Arwen. You'll find your way out. Don't worry." Her voice was shaky. _I'll never find my way out_, she thought miserably. _I'm lost. How could I be so stupid? Running away wouldn't have solved anything.  
_  
For the longest time Arwen sat there, trying to think of a plan. She had no clue where she was. She had no clue which direction she ran, and how far away it was from home. She had no clue which way it was to the Mirkwood, so making it to the Ball was hopeless as well.  
  
But she did know one thing. She was betrayed.  
  
"What pathetic, disgusting, self-centered...pigs!" Arwen yelled, banging her fists into the trunk of a nearby tree to release her anger. It felt good. "How could I have been so gullible? Of course they wouldn't have let me gone. Cinder girl?" She stood up defiantly. "I am _no_ Cinder girl!" She spat on the ground wickedly. _Have I gone mad?_ She thought to herself.  
  
She spent the next few minutes thinking of names to describe her wicked stepmother and stepsister. 'Pigs' was number one on the list. 'Moldy lembas bread.' 'Milk gone two years past the expiration date' was a pretty good one too. Arwen cringed at the idea, and smiled at herself, feeling much better.  
  
Suddenly she heard a voice. Arwen's keen ears picked up the sound immediately. She stopped thinking of names and strained to hear what it was.  
  
It was a male voice, sort of low, and husky.  
  
Arwen's first intention was to run away, the opposite direction. This guy could be a madman. On the second thought, this guy could give her directions. Which was better?  
  
She liked the directions idea better. Arwen stood up and fixed her hair, and her dress. First impressions counted.  
  
The mellow voice drifted nearer, and Arwen could catch some of the elvish words spoken. _Lúthien Tinúviel. Beren. Neldoreth._ She closed her eyes and listened to the words. She recognized the legend of the elf-kind and the mortal, who fell in love with each other, that even mortality couldn't stop them. It was a beautiful song.  
  
Unknowingly, Arwen stepped forward, lured to the voice. She walked carefully over the roots and brambles, opening her eyes to try and see who was singing.  
  
The singing stopped, and the moving shadow in the trees did as well. Arwen halted, and held her breath, fixing her eyes on the dark figure.  
  
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and he stepped forward, towards Arwen. She could see him better now, but the shadows hid his face. He was tall, clad in dark garments. A sword was slung at his side. Arwen squinted, and picked up two horses beside the man as well. For a moment she was scared, but gathering up all the courage within her, she took a step forward, reaching her hand out.  
  
"_Tinúviel_," the man called out.  
  
Arwen could contain her curiosity no longer.  
  
"Hey! Yo!" she called out. "Who are you?" she stopped to catch her breath. "And why did you call me that name?"  
  
The man stepped forward, into the moonlight, revealing his face at last. Arwen gasped, taken aback. He was fairly young, and not of elf-kind. He was ruggedy looking, with dark hair that cascaded around his serious, kind face- broad shouldered, and blue-eyed. Arwen suspected him to be a ranger of some sort. For no reason she blushed in his presence, and was at the same time grateful. Perhaps she had hope of making it to the Ball after all.  
  
He bowed down. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and I am Isildur's heir." He stepped closer, appearing to be inspecting Arwen's face carefully. "I called you Tinúviel, because you certainly walk in her likeness. Beauty such as yours is precious." He stooped down to pick up something.  
  
Arwen blushed even more at this compliment, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Please, tell me who you are," Aragorn urged.  
  
Arwen took a deep breath. "We are akin from afar. I am Arwen, also known as Undómiel. I am Lord Elrond's daughter."  
  
Aragorn raised an eyebrow, his interest roused. "You are Elrond's daughter? I have heard much of your brothers, but I never knew of you. No one ever told me. What does he do, lock you up in your chamber?" He paused. "You were crying." Her red nose gave it away.  
  
Arwen laughed. "Oh, never mind that. And no, he doesn't lock me up. I came to Rivendell a few months ago. I was staying with my grandmother's people, Galadriel, in Lothlorien for a while. I have come back for my regular visit. You have heard of my father's new wife, have you not? Lady Uggalflaed?" She shuddered. "She's horrible." She pondered on whether she should tell of what happened at home, and her treatment. She decided against it. She wouldn't tell, not until she came to know this man better.  
  
"Yes, I have. The news traveled fast. A bit surprising, if you ask me. I never expected him to marry again." A grin flickered on his face. "Horrible? In what way?"  
  
Arwen couldn't help herself. Everything spilled out, from Delia, to the unfair treatment of making her an official servant in her own palace.  
  
"Why didn't you write Elrond and tell him?" Aragorn walked back into the shadows, emerging with the two horses. "Jeez, that's like, abuse. I bet if he heard of this he'd come back and divorce Uggalflaed."  
  
"I know." Arwen sighed. "It's just...I don't want to upset Father when he comes back. We had an agreement. I want to keep that agreement." She took a deep breath. "I'm just going to have to wait a bit longer."  
  
Aragorn shook his head. She could tell that he strongly disagreed, like Lorain. But he didn't argue back. Instead he stepped forward, placed the reigns of the dappled gray mare into her hands.  
  
"If you want to make it in time for the Ball, we're going to have to leave now, Lady." His hand lingered close to hers. "I mean, now. If we leave any later you'd be late." He dropped the reigns into her hands, and the warmth of his touch was gone. He spoke gently into her ear. "I know how much this means to you."  
  
Arwen stood, staring at the reigns in her hand, and nodded. "All right." She stroked the horse's mane, and hitched herself up.  
  
"That is Eolina," Aragorn commented, climbing on top of his own horse, a stallion. "A fine horse, and a gift from the Rohirrim. I will have to return her soon. She was merely loaned."  
  
Arwen smiled, her hand still gently stroking her steed's head. "You're- you're sure you know the way, right?" _What a stupid question,_ Arwen thought to herself, embarrassed. _Of course he does. Duh. He's a ranger.  
  
_ "Yes. It will be a long ride." He winked at her, and started his horse in a light trot. "But you're sitting on top of one of the fastest horses."  
  
"I'm encouraged," Arwen replied, smiling.  
  
"Just follow me." Aragorn rode ahead, just a few feet in front of Arwen.  
  
Arwen stared into her lap. "Aragorn?"  
  
The ranger gave a grunt from ahead. Arwen swallowed nervously.  
  
"Um, this is a good thing you're doing for me. I'd just like to say...thanks. It...it means a lot." Arwen stared at the sky. Was she attracted?  
  
Possibly. Arwen fidgeted nervously.  
  
"No problem. That's what I'm here for."  
  
The horses were forced into a gallop. There was no time to waste. They spent the next hour talking, slowly bonding and creating a friendship. Arwen slowly fell for him. Legolas was completely off her mind, all she could think about was this interesting ranger. The few hours after that were spent in silence, as Arwen had drifted off into sleep. They stopped quickly for breakfast, and continued on their way.  
  
In almost no time they were at the Old Ford, nearing the Edge of Mirkwood. Even from a long distance, the lights and festivity could be seen, laughter and music could he heard.  
  
Arwen had fallen asleep again. Aragorn trotted up to her, and gently touched her hand.  
  
Her eyes flickered open. "BWA!" she yelped. "Oh." She breathed a sigh of relief. "It's you. Are we almost there yet?" Aragorn released her hand, and stared ahead. Arwen's skin tingled from the touch.  
  
"We're almost there, Lady."  
  
A smile spread on her face. "This is wonderful!" She gasped. "Aragorn!" He glanced at her. "Do you have...do you have something I can use, to cover my face? To hide my identity?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't want my stepsisters to know I'm there. Or Lady Uggalflaed. Keep in mind, they think I'm at home right now. They'd freak out if they saw me, dancing with the Prince." Legolas! She had forgotten all about him. "At least, I hope to get a dance with him. It's...all I've ever hoped for."  
  
Aragorn shrugged, and pulled something out of his pack. "It's from your dress," he said, to Arwen's surprise. "It ripped off. I don't know why I kept it. Could be of use." He reached out and gave it to her.  
  
"Thanks." She draped it across her face, like a translucent veil. "How do I look?"  
  
Aragorn smiled. "Beautiful."  
  
Arwen blushed again. "You're not just saying that?"

"Of course not."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------  
  
A shorter chapter, I know. Please review! I'm counting on ya'll! .::Meggin::.


	8. The Ball

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Hi everyone! Here it is- the chapter you've been waiting for. And if it's not perfect I hope you'll still review and tell me you love this story. ( Because...it actually turned out better than I thought it would. I actually thought I would get like five reviews at this point of time, but thanks to you guys that's not true. Thanks a lot, please keep it up. I really (say 100x) appreciate it. A lot. YOU'RE ALL THE BEST! Many thanks to my faithful reviewers! .::Meggin::.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Eight- The Ball  
**  
The Prince of Mirkwood yawned.  
  
This time, it was a rather chubby, short girl around her 2,000's, in a plainly disgusting, fat dress. She turned a deep crimson red, and curtsied awfully to the prince, almost tripping along the way.  
  
"Good evening," Legolas greeted, holding out his hand. The maiden turned redder than a tomato, curtsied once again (actually tripping this time), and daintily shook it. "What's your name?" _Oh my gosh, this is going to take FOREVER,_ Legolas thought to himself, groaning softly. He turned his head to the side and glanced at his father, who was sitting on his throne rather contentedly. Thranduil gave him a nasty glare, and continued greeting the guests and drinking from his royal goblet of wine.  
  
"Laura," she replied, batting her thick eyelashes at him. _Too much mascara_, he thought to himself, shuddering. "Um..." she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "May I...have your autograph?" She stuck a tiny heart-shaped notebook out at him. He clearly saw the words: "Mrs. Legolas Greenleaf" penned on it.  
  
He sighed, and took a peek behind this chubby girl. There appeared to be more than two hundred elven girls in line. They were all holding notebooks. "Do you have a pen?" he asked wearily, flexing his hand.  
  
"No," Laura replied, gasping. "Oh my goodness! I don't have a pen! Now I can't get your autograph!" Tears welled up in her eyes. The girl behind her tapped her shoulder. She loaned her a pen, and she got the autograph.  
  
This went on for a rather long time. Next in line was Primrose, and behind her, Delia.  
  
"Good evening," Legolas repeated monotonously, holding out his hand. Primrose spat at it, and walked away.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about her. She's filth, like her stepsister." She covered her mouth. "Forget I said that," she laughed. "So." She scanned Legolas' bored face. He obviously wasn't interested in her, and was looking past her, ready to greet the next guest. A slow waltz was put on the jukebox. "Prince Legolassss," she hissed in a syrupy, dangerous voice. She grabbed his hand and pulled him close to her. "Dance with me!"  
  
"I don't think so," Legolas replied. He began to get terribly frightened.  
  
"I'm Delia, by the way," she commented, ignoring him. "Dance with me!"  
  
Legolas didn't like being forced into doing things. He was the Prince for crying out loud! He tried to pull away, but Delia had a horrible grip on his hand. She dug her fingernails into his skin. Sighing, he placed his hand on her waist, and shuffled his feet to the beat of the music. He had to get away from her somehow.  
  
Delia reached out and took some of Legolas' yellow locks, twirling it teasingly around in her fingers. That was daring. Very daring.  
  
"What are you thinking of right now?" She asked him.  
  
"I'm thinking of escape," he answered matter-of-factly.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "What are you _seeing_ right now?"  
  
"A monster. Terrifying beyond all reason."  
  
Alarmed, Delia turned around, and scanned the forest. "You mean that tree, don't you?"  
  
"No, that tree's beautiful," Legolas replied coolly. "The monster is dancing with me right now. My hand is on the monster's waist. It's purely disgusting."  
  
Delia stepped back, shocked. "_What_?!"  
  
Legolas saw the opportunity and took it. He pushed away from Delia and ran to the other side of the dancing area. The girls saw him, shrieked, and began running towards him hysterically, flinging their notebooks in the air. Quickly, Legolas snatched the tiara off his head and threw it in their direction.  
  
"Uh..._fetch_!" he yelled. His plan worked, as the girls shrieked again and ran the other direction, fighting over the precious tiara that was once on Prince Legolas' head. Grinning boyishly, he slipped unnoticed into the woods.  
  
**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**  
  
The horses trampled tiredly into the forest. The blaring light was glowing brighter, and the merry music could be heard quite easily.  
  
Arwen's heart thudded loudly in her chest. She gripped the reigns on Eolina tightly, and glanced over at Aragorn. He returned her gaze, nodding his head in encouragement.  
  
"We're here, Lady."  
  
"Please," Arwen begged, exasperatedly. "Call me Arwen." He simply smiled in return, and focused his eyes straight ahead, patting his horse's head. "Aragorn, will you wait for me? You will accompany me back as well, will you? I don't want to get lost again. And it would mean so much to me."  
  
"What time do you plan to leave, Arwen?"  
  
Arwen. It sounded so sweet when he said it.  
  
"Midnight," she finally said. "I need to get home a good hour before they do. They will probably leave later than that."  
  
They reached the actual Ball. Everything was magnificent- huge decorations and ornaments were hung up in the trees, beautiful music was playing, and huge tables packed with an assortment of snacks was available. A large space was prepared in the middle for dancing.  
  
Arwen glanced around the area, scanning the place for Legolas Greenleaf, the elf on Delia's poster she had been longing to meet. She noticed a huge multitude of girls clustered in one corner, fighting over something. They were so ferocious they appeared to be literally murdering each other.  
  
"What happened?" Arwen asked Aragorn. He shrugged, and dismounted his horse. Arwen followed suit.  
  
Aragorn pointed to the throne where King Thranduil was sitting. He was sleeping, the empty goblet dangling from his fingers. He snored loudly.  
  
"This is not as romantic as I thought it would be," Arwen murmured under her breath. Aragorn heard, and laughed.  
  
"I suspect the Prince has snuck off into the woods again," Aragorn told her, stepping up to a refreshments table and taking a cup of punch. "Haven't you heard? He hates anything social. Balls, parties, get- togethers...it doesn't work out for him. And the girls. Especially when they're carrying heart-shaped notebooks," he added, pointing to Laura, the chubby girl, who was holding up Legolas' tiara proudly.  
  
Arwen laughed along with him. "I suppose I will go look for him. How much time have I got left?" she asked Aragorn, who conveniently had a wristwatch.  
  
"Exactly an hour. Better hurry."  
  
The girls had now scattered all over the room, and a few were eyeing Aragorn with interest.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she whispered to him, concern on her face.  
  
"I'll be fine," he answered. He reached out and patted her arm affectionately. "Go enjoy yourself."  
  
She smiled back at him, and entered the woods.  
  
Everything seemed to fall into gray-scale, and light dimmed out. The same forest air Arwen so loved was lingering in the air. And it was so, so quiet. So calm. So peaceful. Her mind drifted back to her walk in the woods, before she heard the news that Lady Uggalflaed was marrying her Father.  
  
There was a full moon, and it's peaceful glow trickled through the foliage above, just enough light for Arwen to find her way around. She weaved her way into the trees, into the thickets of the forest. She would know when she had gone too far when she couldn't hear the music anymore.  
  
"Legolas?" she called out, her voice cracking from nervousness. "I know you're in here." She gulped. "There's a Ball going on. You know how terribly rude it is you leave your guests standing there." No one answered, although she saw a movement in the corner of her eye. "I'm not asking for your autograph," she called out after a moment, hoping Legolas could hear it, wherever he was.  
  
More movement behind the trees. It was clearly the form of an elf, so Arwen smiled at herself. She had found him at last.  
  
"Are you there?" she yelled. She rubbed her arms; she was beginning to get cold. "Anyone?"  
  
He emerged at last, merely a few feet away from Arwen. She gasped. The same feeling when she looked upon Delia's poster rushed through her, although this time it was much greater. A great shudder passed through her body.  
  
It was him, Legolas Greenleaf. He was clad in a tunic of silver, intricate embroidery imprinted upon it. Lithe, fleet-footed, keen-eared. He contained such beauty no other elf possessed. Even under the dim night sky, a brightness shown through him, something that reminded Arwen of the rising sun. His beautiful blond hair fell about his shoulders perfectly, and his blue eyes pierced through the dark, as he stared at Arwen, interested. _How different we are,_ she found herself thinking. _For I am like the night's falling darkness, and he is the like the morning sun.  
_  
"You called?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Arwen didn't catch it though, as she closed her eyes and savored the sound of his voice, to hear it for the first time.  
  
She finally found her voice, but it was strong enough to utter only two measly words. "It's you."  
  
Legolas was confused. "Lady, please tell me, what is your name?" _Finally, a beautiful girl who doesn't trample over me and asks me to sign her heart-shaped notebook. Yeesh_, he thought to himself.  
  
"Narwe," Arwen replied quickly. "From Rivendell." She touched her veil, making sure it was slightly covering her face.  
  
"Narwe," he repeated. "An interesting name." He stepped forward, an bowed beautifully. Arwen curtsied in response. "Look, I'm sorry I had to make you come all the way over here just for a stupid ball, okay? It's my dad, he's...uh...kind of nuts. Well, I'm glad I did run into you though. I thought I would never meet a decent girl in the past hour."  
  
"Oh, really, I don't mind," Arwen replied. "Just meeting you for the first time is a pleasure." She glanced around at her surroundings. "Are you coming back?"  
  
He looked at her curiously. "Do you want to? Isn't it so much better here, in the woods? With Nature?"  
  
"No, I don't want to, it's perfectly fine," Arwen laughed. "Anyway, I agree. I love it here in the woods. So quiet- so calm." She breathed in the crisp air. "I don't know how anyone could take this for granted."  
  
Legolas smiled, rather pleased. From the distance a slow, enticing rhythm was playing.  
  
Arwen stared at her feet and coughed.  
  
"May I have this dance, Narwe?" he asked politely, extending his hand. Arwen glanced up at him, and their hands met.  
  
"With pleasure, my Prince." He enveloped his arms around her, and together they stepped to the beat of the music.  
  
It was an interesting experience, dancing in the woods, under the moonlight. It was an interesting feeling, for Arwen. Although she enjoyed dancing with him very much, the hole in her heart was not mended. It remained open, and wide. Legolas was simply a substitute, once he stopped dancing with her, she would once again become vulnerable.  
  
She closed her eyes, and pushed her strange feelings away.  
  
Arwen wasn't cold anymore. She smiled up into the dazzling eyes of the Prince, and before she knew it she was leaning her head on his chest, breathing in the cool woody scent upon his garments.  
  
"Did you...meet anyone called Delia recently?" Arwen asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Actually, yes," Legolas replied. "Do you know her?"  
  
"A little bit. How did she treat you?"  
  
"Horribly. What a sickening flirt. Luckily, I was able to pull away from a forced dance. And my tiara lured away the others. Socials, parties, get-togethers...it just doesn't work with me, you know?"  
  
Arwen laughed. "I heard." She paused. "Anyone named Primrose?"  
  
"She spat in my hand. Do you know her as well?"  
  
Arwen laughed louder. "A little, yes. Anyway, she hates you. She thinks you're just a stupid prince on a poster."  
  
"A poster?"  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
They danced in each other's arms for a long, long time. The music dragged on, and Arwen found herself falling into extreme comfort, simply lying in his chest, and dancing in the forest, under the moonlight. It was a beautiful sight, if you were to simply stand back and watch the pair dance- the falling darkness and the morning sun reunited at last.  
  
Arwen was so comfortable, and even thinking about giving him a quick kiss, that she nearly forgot about the time. She gasped, and pulled away. "What time is it?" she choked. She felt cold again, and very vulnerable. The void in her heart was back. The missing piece.  
  
Legolas had a wristwatch too. "Nearly Midnight. Why?"  
  
"I've- I've got to go," Arwen stammered. She stumbled ahead, searching for her way back. "It was nice meeting you!" she called over her shoulder.  
  
"Hey!" Legolas yelled. "I..." he paused, searching for the right words. "It was...nice meeting you too, I guess," he finally stated. But he didn't want to lose her. What did her face look like? She had hidden it all this time.  
  
He ran to catch up with her. "Narwe! Narwe!" he called out.  
  
Arwen scrambled over thick tree roots and dangling branches, picking up her skirts. She had to go home, and fast. She had to get home before her stepfamily.  
  
"Narwe!"  
  
Arwen turned back. Legolas was chasing after her. He didn't want her to leave. Neither do I, she thought to herself sadly. But I have to. Unfortunately she didn't turn her head back in time. She tripped over a root and fell. A protruding branch yanked the veil off her face, and the Evenstar pendant off her neck.  
  
Legolas halted in his footsteps, and gazed upon Arwen's face. What to say? She was beautiful in a very dark way. Her pale face was like the moon, framed by the night sky.  
  
Arwen scrambled back up and desperately searched for the veil, the part of her mother's dress. She would sow it on when she got back home. She found it, and looked around for her Evenstar.  
  
"Narwe!" Legolas had fallen out of the trance and was once again running, struggling to catch up with her.  
  
There was no time. Arwen jumped to her feet, left the Evenstar, and ran as fast as her legs could take her, running back to where Aragorn was.  
  
"Aragorn!" she yelled. The ranger was sitting in a chair, slightly bedraggled, from having consumed so much punch. "We've got to go! Now!" She mounted her horse, and Aragorn quickly copied her actions. In the blink of an eye they were gone.  
  
Legolas was back in the woods, panting, trying to keep up with Arwen.  
  
He was interested in her, that was for sure. But interested enough to marry? His father would be happy. If he married her, his Father would stop picking on him so much. Plus, they got along well together.  
  
He noticed something glinting in the dirt. He peered at it, and lifted out a piece of jewelry. It was beautiful, glowing with a dim light. He recognized it as the pendant that Narwe wore around her neck. He stared at it, caressing it with his fingers. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, and pocketed the treasure.  
  
-----------------------------------------------  
  
Only one thing to say- review. PLEASE REVIEW! GO, CLICK THE BUTTON, AND REVIEW RIGHT NOW! We're almost done! .::Meggin::. 


	9. The Evenstar

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Hello there. Again, thanks for all the reviews you've been leaving me! You have no idea how special you're making me feel! Thank you all so much, I'd like to ask you please to keep it up, with this chapter and the couple more chapters to come! Enjoy!  
  
Once again...I am bored. So I will get to work on this chapter, even though (like before), I have absolutely no idea where to start writing, and what to write. But that's where the fun part comes in- imagining as you go along. All hail the dreamers! .::Meggin::.  
  
IMPORTANT NOTE: I will be traveling to visit my aunt in Pennsylvania, so I will not be able to work on the last couple of chapters for a while- but I will be back! I think the longest time I will be away is a couple of weeks. I'd like to ask you all to be patient, and keep reviewing while I'm gone! (Meanwhile, check out my OTHER stories. :) Thanks!  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Nine- The Evenstar  
**  
Arwen brushed away the tears that trickled down her cheeks, trying to be inconspicuous.  
  
"What's wrong?" Aragorn asked, shifting his eyes over to where Arwen sat on her horse.  
  
She sighed, avoiding eye contact. "I shouldn't have left him like that. So quickly."  
  
Aragorn shook his head. "You had to. You said so yourself, you had to get home before your stepfamily."  
  
"I know, it's just...I wish I could've had more time. Plus, I dropped my pendant while I was trying to get away." She touched her bare neck. "I must get it back. If Legolas has found it, he'll probably use it to find me."  
  
"That's exactly what he's going to do, if he fancies you," Aragorn agreed, dismounting his horse and tying the reins around a tree. There was a strange hint of jealousy in his voice. "After all, that was the whole purpose of the Ball. Thranduil wants to marry off his son to a suitable maiden."  
  
Arwen dismounted in silence. Was she ready to marry? They had only met last night. They had only spent time with each other for a mere hour. Did she like him? Yes. Love him? She wasn't sure.  
  
It was 6:00 in the morning, and the two were stopping for a quick breakfast before they headed on back home to Rivendell. Arwen went off to collect the firewood, and Aragorn departed to hunt some food. A dim sun was in the sky, and a chill air was lingering.  
  
After gathering a heap of firewood, Arwen made her way back to the area, clumsily dropping her pile halfway along the path. She stooped down, gathered her collection, and continued.  
  
_Clumsy, clumsy. What a shock you will be at the ball. _Delia's snotty voice interrupted her thoughts. Out of all the flashbacks, she had to have that one. Arwen crinkled her nose at the memory.  
  
Aragorn had caught a brace of conies, and already had the suitable materials to start brewing it. He was on the ground, polishing his precious sword, the conies carelessly strewn beside him. "Oh, good, you're back," he said, at the sight of Arwen. She dumped the firewood in the center, and the ranger soon had a warm fire going.  
  
Arwen sat on a log, biting her fingernails in nervousness. Once Legolas found her, he would surely propose to her. What would she say? How embarrassing it would be to reject him. What a reward it would be to marry him! Only problem was, she was torn between the two decisions.  
  
"Are you done yet?" she groaned pathetically to Aragorn. "I'm starving."  
  
There was silence from the turned back of the ranger. "Yeah," he finally said. He turned around and handed Arwen a steaming bowl of soup. "I'm not very much of cook, but it will have to do."  
  
"Neither am I," Arwen joked. She accepted the bowl gratefully and started eating. As Aragorn withdrew his hand, she noticed an angry red burn on his palm. "Aragorn!" she exclaimed, her mind filling with worry. "You're hurt!" She gestured to his hand.  
  
"It's nothing," Aragorn said uncomfortably. "I merely burned myself while lifting the pot."  
  
"Well, it must be tended to!" Arwen replied, almost angrily. For the moment, this was a very big deal. She scanned the environment, and pulled out some herbs from the ground. _Athelas._ The healer's weed. After heating some water over the fire, she sprinkled in the pinched herbs, creating a soothing broth. Carefully, taking the veil she used to cover her face, she dipped the cloth in the substance. "Give me your hand."  
  
Aragorn almost rolled his eyes, but he obeyed. She took his hand in hers, and inspected the burn, rubbing the cloth over it. He winced.  
  
She tore the cloth in half, and used the dry part to gently wrap his hand. "Is that better?" she asked him, after tying it off. Hesitantly, she let go of his hand.  
  
"Yes." he smiled. "Thank you, Arwen, even though I could have done it myself."  
  
She blushed.  
  
"But I appreciate it," he quickly added, laughing. "The job would have been better off anyway in the hands of an elven maiden."  
  
After breakfast, the pair were on their steeds and ready to continue. Morning though it was, Arwen was tired and couldn't help falling asleep once more.  
  
She was roused by a familiar voice. She cracked open her eyes. It was Aragorn, singing the same song on the two lovers, Beren and Lúthien. It was lovely to listen to. Arwen closed her eyes once more, paying closer attention to the words. She shivered.  
  
Aragorn saw, and stopped singing. He trotted over to where Arwen was sitting, took off his cloak, and laid it gently around her shoulders. Thinking she was asleep, he ran his finger gently down her cheek, stroking her, almost lulling her to sleep.  
  
"_Tinúviel_," he whispered under his breath.  
  
**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**  
  
It was precisely 7:00 in the morning. Delia and the others were expected about an hour later.  
  
Arwen stepped up to her door and knocked, Aragorn at her heels. It was answered by Lorain, who greeted them both with a warm smile.  
  
"Arwen! My Lady, you're back!" She eagerly hugged her friend. Her eyes averted to the ruggedy man beside her. Raising an interested eyebrow, she coughed. "And who's this?"  
  
"Oh! Um, Lorain, this is Aragorn, a wonderful ranger I met in the woods. He is a friend of Father's, and of my brothers. He accompanied me to the ball, because...er...I kind of got lost in the way. And Aragorn, this is Lorain, a servant in the household, but a good friend of mine."  
  
Aragorn tilted his head in greeting, and Lorain curtsied. "A pleasure to have you here! Well, come in!"  
  
"I must change back to my regular clothes," Arwen said hurriedly, rushing down the stairs into her chamber. "Before the others come. They must not know I have attended the ball. Is the palace clean and in order?"  
  
Lorain nodded. "Everything is taken care of."  
  
"Will you show Aragorn to the living room?" Arwen whispered. "Prepare him some food, and a drink. He had done so much."  
  
"Of course, Arwen." Lorain smiled and left the room.  
  
Arwen quickly showered and dressed in her usual servant rags. She stared at herself in the mirror, and decided to rub some soot into her cheeks. That gave the impression she had slept by the fireplace- she was merely a pathetic servant, after all.  
  
Lorain came back in the room, her smile beaming from ear to ear. "He is a wonderful man!" she exclaimed. "How fortunate you are to meet him along the way. He must have been a terrific companion."  
  
Arwen laughed. "Yes, he is. Most certainly."  
  
"So!" Lorain plopped herself down beside where Arwen was seated. "How was it? The Ball, I mean?"  
  
"It was...spectacular," Arwen murmured, gaining a far away look in her eyes. "And at the same time, quite confusing. I mean...it didn't turn out the way I thought it would be. But it was all...wonderful. The dance in woods..." Her hand lingered to her neck. "It was almost magical. Legolas, he is...interesting." She looked at Lorain. "He will be finding me soon, I know it. I don't know whether I'm ready to marry him or not."  
  
Lorain stared at her blankly. "Lady. What does your heart tell you?"  
  
Arwen stared into her lap, and sighed. "I don't know." She looked up at into Lorain's eyes, a pleading in her voice, for understanding. "I think I'm in love with someone else."  
  
"You're certainly seeking advice from the wrong person. I- don't know what to say, Lady. "  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
The two sat in silence, delved into thought.  
  
"Arwen." Lorain took out an envelope from her pocket. "I don't know what I can do to console you, but this certainly will cheer you up. A letter from your Father, Lord Elrond has arrived today."  
  
"Another letter!" Arwen exclaimed greedily. "May I see it?"  
  
"Certainly!" Lorain laughed. "It's addressed to you."  
  
Arwen ripped the envelope and pulled out the letter within. _It better be good this time, Father_, she thought to herself, scanning the page.  
  
_Dear Arwen,  
  
This brief piece of correspondence is one I thought would make you happy. I write in haste, for I depart in merely a few minutes.  
The hobbits here in the Shire are fully healed. Thanks to the reinforcements that were sent out a few days ago, many hands made idle work. The ill ones are in excellent condition. The elvish medicine has treated them well.  
I will be back home in a few weeks, Arwen. I have found it quite lonely here without Lady Uggalflaed, and the stepdaughters...but most especially, you, my love. I hope they are treating you well, for if they are not (which I doubt), I shall throw a terrible fit. (You have seen me when I am angry, have you not?)  
We shall be reunited soon. Take care.  
  
Your honorable Father,  
  
Elrond  
_  
Arwen smiled. "Lorain, this is great news! Father is coming back home!" She leapt to her feet, and twirled in circles. "Finally! He's coming home!"  
  
"That's wonderful!" Lorain laughed. "He will stop all this nonsense, once and for all! Once he sees what they have been doing to you..." her voice filled with anger and hatred.  
  
Arwen laughed. "Yes, he will put an end to it all."  
  
**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**  
  
"Arwen!" The familiar voice of none other than Delia filled the air. "Arwen!" She slammed the door behind her. "Where is that Cinder girl?"  
  
"I'm here." Arwen rushed out, breathless. "How was the Ball?"  
  
"Oh shut up, you filth." Delia paused, then sighed, falling into the same trance-like state that happened whenever she was around her poster. "I got my first dance with the Prince! Can you believe it?"  
  
"That's wonderful," Arwen exclaimed, a little too loudly.  
  
Delia peered at her, suspicious. "What are you so cheerful about?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," Arwen replied gleefully. "Where are the others?"  
  
Delia sniffed the air in a dignified way. "They are coming."  
  
Primrose banged into the palace in a rather dramatic way. Delia jumped up in shock.  
  
"PRIMROSE, WILL YOU STOP BEING SO LOUD?!" Delia yelled, stomping her feet.  
  
"Look who's talking," Primrose retorted. She waved a thick piece of parchment in the air, the way she did when she was excited. "Look! Another urgent letter from the Palace of Mirkwood! Except this time..._it's from Legolas himself_!"  
  
Delia shrieked. Primrose cackled evilly and hopped about, holding the parchment high above her head, while her stepsister tried to catch it, hopelessly.  
  
"Primrose, give me that!" Delia commanded through gritted teeth. "Give me that now!"  
  
Arwen laughed, highly amused. Primrose had always been slightly taller than her sister.  
  
Delia tripped on her skirts and fell, face down. "BOOOOHOOOOOOOO!" she wailed, holding her nose. "Aaaah! You broke my nose!"  
  
"No I did not," Primrose replied. "It's just bleeding." She sat on the stairs and opened the envelope. "Arwen, come look at this! Quick!" she gestured to the letter while Arwen rushed over.  
  
**ATTENTION! VERY SUPER DUPER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!  
  
I will be scouting Rivendell for a maiden I must meet. The only artifact  
she has left behind from the Ball is a crystal pendant. If you own this, please  
step forward as I search briefly through your household.  
  
Thank you for your cooperation.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Prince Legolas Greenleaf  
**  
"He's coming over," Arwen exclaimed. "Oh no. What do I do?" she murmured to herself.  
  
"What?" Primrose asked, confused. "Don't worry about it. I don't even own such a pendant. I doubt Delia owns one too."  
  
Delia hobbled forward, still clutching her nose, and snatched the letter from Primrose's hands. She read it, and shrieked, even louder this time.  
  
"OH MY GOODNESS, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE, LEGOLAS IS COMING OVER!" Delia swooned, collapsing onto her knees.  
  
"Aw, come on, Delia, cut the dramatics," Primrose moaned. Delia lay motionless on the floor.  
  
"She's fainted," Arwen stated quietly.  
  
"Talk about obsessed," Primrose remarked, rolling her eyes.  
  
Aragorn entered the room, eating an ice cream cone. He stopped at the sight of Delia. "Is...there something wrong?" he asked, worriedly.  
  
"Just leave her there," Primrose replied, folding up the letter. Arwen laughed.  
  
The three sat on the stairs, watching the time tick away. Thirty minute passed.  
  
"I wonder when he's coming?" Arwen asked, sighing. "There's nothing to do. The chores are finished."  
  
"I hope Delia sleeps through it all," Primrose snorted. "Obviously, the Prince and herself were not 'destined to be together', as she keeps blabbering to her stupid poster."  
  
A loud knock came from the door.  
  
"It's him!" Arwen whispered.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------  
  
Please review! I'll try to write the rest of the chapters as soon as possible, once I'm back from my travels. Enjoy! .::Meggin::. 


	10. Confession

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Hey everyone! Guess what! I came back early from my trip from Pennsylvania earlier than I thought I would! Yay! .::hops around in complete bliss::. I have been thinking a lot about what to write in the next couple of chapters, which I am uploading together as a special treat for all my patient readers. (A response to Mercury… yes I did bring a notebook/journal, and yes I have been writing ideas!). So here it is, the conclusion to this tale. If things didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, I hope you still accept it as it is- I have given great thought to each and every word.  
  
It has been a _wonderful_ journey writing this with all of my reviewers. You will see me again will a new fanfiction in the future, you have my word! Enjoy! .::Meggin::.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Ten- Confession  
**  
Another knock came, even louder this time.  
  
Primrose and Arwen glanced at each other nervously. "I'll answer it," Primrose finally said, swallowing up courage. She stood up.  
  
Arwen opened her mouth to speak. "Primrose," she choked. "It was me. Legolas is looking for me. I snuck off after you guys left, and I spent time with Prince Legolas myself. The pendant he is looking for belongs to me; it is my Evenstar."  
  
Her stepsister stared at her, and a large smile spread across her face. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she laughed. "I'm just happy the future couple won't be Legolas and Delia, thanks heavens!" She helped Arwen up to her feet. "It said in the announcement to show yourself once he comes. You will, right?"  
  
Arwen gulped. "Of course. I just don't know what to say."  
  
Two more impatient blows came upon the door.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Primrose reassured, heading towards the door. "I've got to answer this now, or we'll have to repair a damaged door." Swallowing another bit of courage, she twisted the doorknob and braced herself for the sight.  
  
Before her were two male elves, clearly dressed in a royal Mirkwood attire. "Good morning, M'am," one of them said, after clearing his throat. He looked down at a clipboard he was clutching at his right hand. "You are a resident of the House of Elrond, correct?"  
  
"Yes," Primrose replied.  
  
"You have received the urgent super duper announcement from Prince Legolas, correct? You understand the whole issue, correct?"  
  
"Uh…yeah," she replied nervously. "We're all inside."  
  
The Mirkwood elf scribbled something on his clipboard, and looked over at his partner. He nodded jerkily. "Very well. We present Prince Legolas Greenleaf of the Mir-"  
  
A blond elf impatiently shoved them apart and stepped forward. "Please, will you speed things up a bit?" he snarled to his guards. "I have got to find this girl _now_." Legolas' companions gulped and nodded speechlessly. Satisfied, he turned to Primrose. He scanned her face, and a faint grin flickered on his face. "I know you."  
  
"Yes, you do," Primrose replied, hatred in her voice. "Primrose is my name."  
  
"You spat in my hand." He laughed at the memory. "I'm sorry I had to spoil your evening for you. Please know the Ball wasn't my idea at all. It was my Father's."  
  
Primrose smiled. "Very well. You may come in."  
  
Legolas stepped inside, and Primrose closed the door behind him.  
  
Arwen caught sight of the blond elf, and once again her breath was taken away. She was standing in a shadowed, dark corner, kind of hiding herself. She was shaking nervously. _Calm down, Arwen. You can handle yourself. Breathe._ She took in a deep breath.  
  
"Prince Legolas!" Lady Uggalflaed emerged from the kitchen, the announcement crumpled in her chubby hands. "Welcome to our home!"  
  
"Mother!" Primrose's eyes bulged out. "We didn't see you come in!"  
  
"Of course you didn't," Uggalflaed replied carelessly. "I came in through the back door."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Legolas took out the pendant from his pocket, handling the fragile piece of jewelry between his fingers. He inspected the area. A blond maiden was flat on the floor, and quickly recognized her as Delia. He shuddered, and observed the rest of the room. A ruggedy man with dark hair was standing near the staircase. Aragorn? They had met only once before.  
  
"Leggy, milad!" Aragorn stepped forward and locked his friend in a backbreaking hug. "Long time no see!"  
  
"Aragorn," Legolas managed to choke out. He laughed. "You know these people?"  
  
"Yes. Have you not heard? Lord Elrond has married again."  
  
Legolas paused, and laid his eyes upon Lady Uggalflaed, who was pouring tea and batting her eyelashes at him. "To…her?" he asked softly, gesturing to The Pig. Aragorn nodded.  
  
"Delia and Primrose are her stepdaughters."  
  
"I don't believe this. What was Lord Elrond _thinking_?" Legolas shook his head in disappointment, then turned to Aragorn. "My friend, tell me. Does anyone of the name 'Narwe' live here?"  
  
Aragorn rubbed his chin in thought. "Narwe? I'm afraid not, unless you're talking about Elrond's daughter, Arwen…"  
  
It was time. Arwen slowly stepped forward from the shadows, nervously wringing her hands into her dirty apron.  
  
Legolas saw, and gasped. It was the same beautiful maiden he had danced with in the woods. The falling night. "Narwe?" he asked, hesitantly.  
  
Lady Uggalflaed dropped the teapot in horror. With a loud crash it met the floor.  
  
"It's me," Arwen replied softly, letting her hands fall to her sides. Blood rose to her cheeks as she remembered that she had changed back into her lowly servant rags. She felt tiny and ugly in the presence of the Prince. "And my name is not Narwe…it is Arwen. I am Lord Elrond's daughter."  
  
"I NEED SOME EXPLANATION!" Lady Uggalflaed erupted, turning onto Primrose. "What is _going on_?"  
  
Primrose merely stood there, watching the whole scene curiously.  
  
Legolas quickly rushed forward to Arwen, and clasped her hands into his. They were deathly cold. "Arwen," he murmured. "I never knew Elrond had a daughter." The pendant pressed into Arwen's skin as Legolas looked into her eyes. His gaze hurt to look at. "Arwen. I must speak to you privately."  
  
Arwen stared at her feet, her throat dry. Legolas let go of her hands, this time leaving the pendant in her possession.  
  
"That belongs to you, my Lady," Legolas added.  
  
Still Arwen did not answer. Instead she lifted the necklace and latched it around her neck. Everyone in the room gasped as a powerful glow escaped the once dim crystal pendant.  
  
"Arwen?" Legolas asked again, this time beseeching.  
  
A silent moment passed. At last, Arwen reached forward and clutched Legolas' sleeve. "Follow me," she ordered, and rushed out of the palace, the prince at her heels.  
  
They came to a small, quiet clearing in the Rivendell forest. Crisp autumn leaves fell from the branches, scattered all across the ground. They were now a good distance away, and Arwen turned to Legolas.  
  
"Okay. You can talk."  
  
Legolas paused, searching for the right words. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped as he realized Arwen's attire.  
  
"Why are you dressed in those rags?" he asked, concern in his voice. "Surely your father doesn't treat you like a slave?"  
  
She knew he would ask that. "It's a long story. You see…my stepfamily…they have been cruel to me. My father has left for the Shire to tend to some ill hobbits, and has left me in their care for a while. He is returning soon, but for the past month I have acted as a servant in the household." She touched her skirt in shame. "I have to wear this. It's part of my job."  
  
"Your father doesn't know about this?"  
  
Arwen sighed. "No. And I haven't tried telling him…it's just this promise I made him that I wanted to keep. Anyway, he is coming home soon, and at that time I plan to explain everything to him."  
  
Legolas shook his head. "I knew there was something demented with that family," he muttered angrily.  
  
"Not Primrose," Arwen quickly added. "She has been a blessing, actually. It's Delia and Uggalflaed that bother me the most."  
  
"Your father will do something," Legolas assured.  
  
"I know."  
  
The two stood in front of each other, as the minutes ticked away in awkward silence.  
  
Arwen coughed. "Legolas?" she finally asked, raising her eyes to look at him. She took a deep breath. "Why have you come?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.  
  
Legolas met her gaze, and his hand drifted to the pendant hanging from her neck. Silently he caressed it. He appeared to be in deep thought. "Arwen."  
  
Arwen suddenly remembered how Aragorn said her name differently, in a sweet way she savored.  
  
"Arwen," he repeated. His hand fell. "I've been giving it great thought. I…have come to ask you a question."  
  
Arwen's heart skipped a beat, and slow tears came to her eyes.  
  
Touched, Legolas grasped Arwen's hand. "I know it's difficult…but I believe I've finally found someone…"  
  
Arwen sobbed quietly as Legolas leaned forward and whispered in her ear.  
  
"Arwen. Will you marry me?"  
  
Everything froze. Time froze in place, and all sounds were muted out. Arwen's body tensed uncomfortably as she tried to tear her eyes away from his stare. She licked her lips and opened her mouth, but all that escaped was a painful sob. She closed her eyes, and felt the acid tears burn her skin as they fell down her face.  
  
Aragorn. She thought of Aragorn, and the mere thought caused a great pain to shoot through her body. She opened her eyes, and then her mouth to speak.  
  
"Legolas," she choked, meeting his painful gaze. "You don't want to marry me."  
  
He let go of her hand, confused.  
  
"I don't?"  
  
Arwen took in a consoling breath, rejuvenating her body with confidence and energy. "It pains me greatly to say this. I…don't love you. I like you a lot, of course, but…I just don't love you." She smiled slightly, wiping a tear from her face. "I've just realized my heart belongs to someone else."  
  
Legolas stood, taking it all in. Arwen stood in front of him, anxious to hear his reply. She wringed her hands into her apron, hoping she had done the right thing.  
  
The blond prince stared at his feet, thinking deeply. "You're right," he finally said, lifting his eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just asked you to please my father, more than to please myself." He laughed. "I thought that if I married you, things would finally go well…for both of us. And my dad wouldn't bother so much, and we wouldn't have to have any more balls." He paused. "But I must say, you quite charmed me last night."  
  
Arwen breathed a sigh of relief. "So have you," she replied. She leaned forward, and kissed him quickly on the cheek, for the first and final time. "I shall write to you, I promise. And visit you, occasionally."  
  
Legolas smiled, and bowed beautifully. "I look forward to our correspondence, and…I'm glad things have ended well. Thanks for being so honest, or everything would have been disastrous."  
  
Arwen curtsied. "Your welcome. I think it's best if we just remain friends."  
  
**.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.**  
  
Night has fallen. Legolas Greenleaf had departed with his companions, and Arwen came back with the news of her rejection. Delia, who had woken up, responded with a jealous roar.  
  
"NO FAIR! HOW COULD HE FALL FOR A MEASLY SERVANT, AND NOT FOR A BEAUTIFUL GIRL LIKE ME?" she wailed.  
  
"Uh…I think it's _obvious_?" Primrose retorted, rolling her eyes.  
  
Arwen tore through the servant headquarters, searching for her friend. Desperately, she stopped a random servant girl. "Have you spotted Lorain anywhere?" she asked. She was dying to tell her what happened.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lady, but no." The girl shook her head. "We don't have anyone called Lorain here."  
  
Arwen blinked. "Excuse me? What do you mean? I just spoke with her today…"  
  
The girl kept shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Lady Arwen. No such girl exists. I know, since I have worked here for quite some time." She curtsied politely, and pushed past Arwen to continue on her way.  
  
Arwen stood there, dumbfounded. A smile flickered on her face. _My guardian angel_, she thought to herself. _Thanks. You've been a great friend.  
_  
She had forgotten something. She bit her lip, trying to remember what it was. Suddenly, she gasped. Aragorn!  
  
She barged outside, into the dim of the night. The wind blew loudly through the trees, and Arwen stumbled in her path, searching desperately for the ranger. Surely he wasn't leaving?  
  
Her feet lead her to the stables. Sure enough, Aragorn was there, saddling his horse, and Eolina at his side.  
  
"Aragorn!" Arwen cried, rushing forward. "What are you _doing_? You can't leave! Not now!"  
  
The ranger stopped, and turned to face her. "My Lady, it will only be for a short while. I have some errands to take care of first. Keep it mind I simply ran into you, and…basically wanted to help you, I guess."  
  
"But you can't _leave_," Arwen repeated pathetically.  
  
Aragorn smiled. "I will be back, Arwen. Wait for me." He stepped forward and touched her face tentatively.  
  
Arwen closed her eyes, and murmured something, half directed to herself. "I will bind myself to you." The pendant which hung around her neck glowed wondrously.  
  
Aragorn paused, pondering her words. He didn't quite understand it.  
  
"I will miss you," Arwen breathed, opening her eyes. "Please hurry."  
  
The ranger enveloped her in his arms, and gently locked her in an affectionate kiss. Arwen clung to him, not wanting him to leave.  
  
Aragorn stepped back, and mounted his horse. "_Noro lim_," he urged his steed. The horse reared, and soon they were gone.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
Please, pretty please review! Once you have done so, go ahead onto the next chapter! Thanks again for being such a terrific audience. .::Meggin::. 


	11. Ever After

**A r w e n e l l a**  
  
Here it is- the last chapter to the story. Again, it has been a terrific journey writing with all my reviewers. I hope that if I ever get a new fanfiction idea, you guys will be there constantly as you have been for this story. Thanks again, it has been purely wonderful. .::Meggin::.  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
**Chapter Eleven- Ever After**  
  
It was a beautiful day in the Palace of Mirkwood- a very breezy day, but beautiful nonetheless.  
  
The lithe, blond elf opened his mailbox to a single letter. He flipped it over to see who it was from, and smiled. Arwen had kept her promise. Legolas sat himself below his favorite tree and began to read ravenously.

_My dear friend Legolas:  
  
I'm sorry it took me so long to send the first letter, but everything here has been chaotic. I'm sorry to say I'm also kind of in a hurry, so I will try to pack everything that has happened into this note.  
  
My father Lord Elrond came back a few days ago. My heart literally leaped to see him again, since it has been such a long time. I kind of embarrassed myself as I gave him a katrillion hugs that day, jumping on him all of a sudden like a toad. He says the hobbits are fully healed, and they are in such good condition he presumes they won't need his help for a very long time.  
  
It will please you to hear my father and Lady Uggalflaed have- ALAS- divorced. It was dramatic, and at the same time, funny, to watch. As soon as I told father what they have been doing to me he barged into my stepmother's room right in the middle of a make-up application lesson with Delia.  
  
"I DEMAND A DIVORCE," he yelled, slamming the papers right into the blush powder. His face was so red, and Uggalflaed looked so scared, she would have done anything he told her to do. So she signed the papers, and with shameful tears, left the palace with that disgusting Delia. Of course they are so selfish and ignorant that they did not realize they had left Primrose behind (she was down in the servant's headquarters having a chat with the girls there). So when Primrose found out about it she just laughed her head off, saying how utterly glad she was. The next day we received a phone call from Uggalflaed, asking bitterly if Primrose wanted to come home. Of course, Primrose said no.  
  
And then you know what happened. I called you up, and you agreed to have Primrose as one of King Thranduil's royal advisors. I am sure she is enjoying the job right now. I also hope as a result of her residing where you live, you two will grow to be fonder of each other._ _  
  
_  
"Prince Legolas?" Primrose stepped gingerly into his little forest area. "Um, your father is calling for you."  
  
Legolas raised his eyes, and smiled. "Tell him I'm coming."  
  
"What is that?" Primrose asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.  
  
"A letter from Arwen."  
  
"Oh." Primrose fidgeted for a moment, and blushed. "Um, I'm sorry about that time when I spat in your hand. You know, at the ball. That was very rude of me."  
  
Legolas laughed. "Don't mention it."  
  
"And- I don't think you're stupid."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Primrose coughed, and turned around. "Well, I must be leaving. See ya." She fluttered her hand, and made a move to depart.  
  
Legolas jumped to his feet. "Primrose! Wait!"  
  
Primrose took a deep breath, and turned around.  
  
"Well, you know how father's having his birthday party tomorrow night, and I was thinking…well, if you would like to be my date."  
  
"Uh- of course," Primrose nervously replied. "Are you sure? There are plenty of other girls out there…"  
  
Legolas smiled, and sat back down. "The heck with them. I'd like to be with you tomorrow night. But only if you agree."  
  
Primrose blushed. "Of course. Namárië." With a wave of her hand, she was gone.  
  
Satisfied, Legolas picked his place up in the letter and continued.

_Also, as a result of the Pig and her selfish daughter leaving, I can now reclaim the clothes Delia has stolen from me. I am no longer a servant working in my own household, and I am now dressed in a more appropriate attire. I can wake up not at 6:00, but whatever time I want. I no longer have to sleep beside the fireplace and wake up with sickening ash all over me. The servants are now taking care of the chores, but now that I know the annoying pain they go through everyday, I try and help them with the simple chores whenever I am bored. They thank me for it, but I thank them in return for teaching me a valuable lesson.  
  
You will see me at King Thranduil's birthday party. It has been a long time, so I am very eager to see you and Primrose again. I hope your father does not fall asleep on his throne as he did once before, so tell him to cut down on the wine.  
  
I nearly forgot to tell you about Aragorn. He had to leave for a while to take care of some errands, be he came back the same day as Father did, so it was twice the joy. He has asked me out a couple of times, and I have enjoyed myself a lot. I have been thinking profusely, and tonight I plan to meet him, and give him something highly precious of mine, something that is far more beautiful and important than what it seems on the outside. Tonight I plan to give him my love, my heart, and my immortality. I don't know what Father will say about this, but I shall have no regrets on doing it.  
  
That is all. I've never really had a real penpal before, and I don't write letters very often. I promise to write a longer letter, but for now I wish to spend more time with my father. Things have started very badly, but I do believe all stories have a happy ending…and if not, at least a moral or two is learned. So I guess it's appropriate to say that everyone involved in this tale now lives happily ever after.  
  
Please write soon, or I shall tear my hair out.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Arwen  
_  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
FINALLY! THIS STORY IS DONE! FINISHED! Please write a review on what you think of this chapter, the whole story, everything. I love to hear compliments and feedback (very long reviews appreciated…ah! I love it love it love it)!  
  
**Also I plan to give some thanks to some reviewers who have been there constantly for this story and myself. I'm only thanking those that have reviewed since 8.9.04, but if any other people happen to stop by and read, I'd like to thank you as well. I thank the following…  
**  
**Bumtiggerbum07**: Hello sister! Thank you for your reviews. You are very special to me because you proofread each chapter I write before I actually upload it, and you usually catch little errors and grammatical issues. Thanks, it means a whole lot. Plus you were the first one to leave a review, which means a whole lot as well.  
  
**Philippa:** You are honestly one of my favorite reviewers. First of all, you were one of the first people to read my story- you can't imagine how happy I was when I opened my mail and saw your review alert inside! I love how you first compliment what you liked about the story, and then add in a very nice way any errors you caught, anything that could improve the way I write…for example, the issue of putting the dialogue and action in the same paragraph. I know that I have a bit of trouble with that, and I am working to improve. Thanks a whole lot for your reviews, they make me happy and at the same time, really improve my writing.  
  
**Jewli Demoine:** Hey there! You know me as Kylee from the guild, right? Hehe! You are also one of my first reviewers, and one of my favorites. It makes me happy to know that I still make you laugh, even with parts I don't really mean to be humorous. I'm glad we don't only get to talk through reviews, because you're really a great person. Neomail me!  
  
**Rana Ninque:** Hey there! I love how you give specific examples in your reviews about parts you liked, and disliked. Also, like Philippa, whenever you spot something, you always say how I could improve. I'm also happy you didn't underestimate my story, as you said in your first review: "Most stories like this aren't always so good." Thank you for being one of my constant reviewers, I thank you a whole bunch!  
  
**Hannah:** "i know that arwen is cinderella and legolas is prince charming and all that jazz but could u make it arwen/aragorn pleez. tell me in ur next chappi. thanx." Hehe! Now do you like the way the story ended?  
  
**Aldawen Eldartari:** Your reviews made me laugh. I was pleased to find out that I made such terrific evil characters- so evil that it drove you to the point that you actually wanted to kill them! Ha! Thanks for your reviews- they cheered me up a lot.  
  
**Mata:** I'm glad you thought this was a great idea! I was a little unsure of how this story would end up at first, but your review really built up the confidence in me. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapters of this tale, and I also hope you like how I concluded it.  
  
**Mercury Gray:** Your reviews were encouraging and very helpful, I always look forward to reading them once I found out they were submitted by you! I also noted how much you wanted to have Primrose and Legolas get together. Although I totally did not intend anything like that to happen in the end, I gave a little hint. Thanks a whole lot for your reviews, I hope to read some more of your stories another time!  
  
**Ximena:** You liked my story! Yay! And now you know who ended up with whom!  
  
**Satara**: Your first review nearly made me cry! I'm glad I pleased you that much. I'm glad that you loved it, loved it, loved it! I rarely ever get such great compliments with my pieces of writing at school (I guess I write better when it's about Lord of the Rings, haha!). You are definitely one of my favorite reviewers. All hail the dreamers! Keep dreaming, Satara!  
  
**Elf of Rivendell:** Thanks a bunch for your reviews. It seems like EVERYONE wanted Arwen and Aragorn to be together…it's a good thing I decided from the beginning that THAT was going to be the twist- it would hurt me so much to displease my readers!


End file.
